John Stuart Mill: Freedom, Happiness, and Utilitarianism
Human Freedom and the Common Good
Mill argues for the common good as a moral criterion, asserting that it contributes to individual happiness. However, individual good sometimes conflicts with the common good. In a society, it’s necessary to establish regulations on individual conduct.
Mill explains that when internal direction isn’t enough to control its members’ conduct, society resorts to public opinion and the force of law. A group can only limit an individual’s freedom to protect others from harm. Constraints are only admissible to prevent harm to others.
Mill firmly believes the state shouldn’t intervene in decisions that don’t affect the rest of society. If an action doesn’t harm others, the state has no right to judge. However, Mill contradicts himself by stating that people are free unless they harm others or themselves. For example, is it right to steal from the rich to give to the poor?
Mill doesn’t condemn actions based on good intentions but on their potential for evil. Even if the consequences are good, the law may condemn them.
For Mill, everyone has the right to be free, educated, and to grow. These are rights for achieving happiness for the greatest number. There’s a connection between utilitarianism and liberalism, both seeking happiness for most people. However, a minority might have to comply with the majority, which Mill didn’t entirely agree with. Mill was among the first to propose women’s suffrage, but it was initially rejected.
The Pursuit of Happiness
For Mill, moral rightness is associated with the happiness of men and women, which can be problematic when happiness is equated with pleasure. Bentham proposed calculations of pleasure, but if it was the era of adding and subtracting individual pleasures, not all pleasures are equal, but still a hierarchy in the pleasures, and what Mill is saying that we must bear in mind the quality much or more than quantity. Thus Mill says that there are two kinds of pleasures pleasures higher (intellectual) and lower pleasures (Body) and that only if the latter is subordinate to the first one we aspire to human beings worthy of happiness, Mill also includes higher than the pleasures come to contribute to the collective happiness.
Mill dared to say that human progress was obtained by focusing on happiness, so all of the conduct to be part of the happiness of all.
Mill believes we have a natural feeling of belonging to the collective social, and education must build moral sentiment upon these feelings.
Mill maintains that defending the interests of all aligns with one’s own interest, but not in a selfish way.
Mill states that the sentiment in favor of the good of others is also within us.
Therefore, happiness is the ultimate justification, and all other purposes are part of the pursuit of happiness.
Mill argues that all human desires are directed toward attaining happiness, and this is the ultimate goal of our behavior.