Ethicists, here is a guide to how to test Mill’s principles. You will be watching a movie next week, and will have an essay due after that. More information on this next week. i will also provide a paper copy of this document.

How to test Utilitarian principles (Mill)

REMEMBER: WE ARE USING JOHN STEWART MILL’S UTILITARIAN PRINCIPLE OF THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF HAPPINESS (NOT PLEASURE, AS BENTHAM) FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE

Utilitarianism holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness (Happiness: Pleasure and the absence of pain)

QUALITY VS. QUANTITY OF HAPPINESS

Of two pleasures, if there be one to which all, or almost all, who have experiences of both give a decided preference.

The “hedonic calculus” for the action being considered

1. Intensity
2. Duration
3. Certainty or uncertainty
4. Propinquity (nearness) or remoteness
5. Fecundity: What are the chances of this action being followed by sensation of the same kind, i.e., pleasure begets pleasure, pain begets pain
6. Purity/Impurity: What are the chances of the action NOT being followed by sensations of the opposite, i.e., pleasure begets pain, pain begets pleasure

Consider:

1. The value of each pleasure (in the first instance)
2. The value of each distinguishable pain (in the first instance)
3. Value of each pleasure produced after the first instance (fecundity of the first pleasure and impurity of the first pain)
4. Value of each pain produced after the first instance (fecundity of the first pain and impurity of the first pleasure)
5. Sum up all the values of the pleasures (hedons) on one side, and the pain (dolors) on the other—see if the tendency is to pleasure or pain
6. See how many persons there are whose interests will be concerned (do this for each person). Sum up the numbers to see the tendency for good or bad upon the whole group involved.
7. Don’t make snap decisions based on what we want at the time (immediate gratification)—acting on impulse is an irrational action, and we will tend to end up unhappy. WHAT IS THE MORE RATIONAL DECISION?
8. MAKE A QUALITATIVE DISTINCTION BETWEEN PLEASURES—SELF-INTEREST IS NOT A CRITERION OF “GOODNESS.”

ENGLISH IS MY SECOND LANGUAGE SO PLZ WRITE IT IN THIS STYLE .. PLZ MAKE THE ESSAY SIMPLE AS MUCH AS U CAN ,BS I AM GONNA WRITE IT IN THE CLASS

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