J. S.

Mill's Utilitarianism Session's agenda o Must-know concepts (will be distributed in the sections handout prior to section): Consequentialism Psychological Egoism & Hedonism Happiness & Higher Pleasures Conceptions of Duty Utilitarianism as a Standard of Conduct Another dimension of utility evaluation Subordination of justice to utility Systemic treatment of moral dilemmas Concrete first principles Articulation of peoples consciousness and practice maximizing rationality Session's Plan 1. Review and warm up 10 minutes 1.1. JSM's life's Highlights Child prodigy early learning, home schooling, isolation from other children Harriet Taylor & Women's suffrage longtime friend, wife, source of inspiration and ideas, focus on right of women Thinker/ Member of Parliament / not a Prof. (intellectual public audience Frasers Magazine)/ Contribution to liberalism (On Liberty for the next session) 1. 2. Intellectual dialogue With who? Hardcore hedonistic utilitarians such as: o J. Bentham

o Highlighting the revolutionary change to that JSM brought to fore

o Showing the strength of Mill's ideas

o J. Mill (his father) o J. Austin Bridge from the lecture to section Why? As a criticism to psychological hedonism that equated push-pin to poetry What did he? Modified classic utilitarians assumptions about human motivations, the nature of happiness, the relationship b/w happiness & duty, the justification of utilitarianism 2. Substantive engagement 30-35 minutes 2.1. Main ideas of JSM's Utilitarianism Higher/Lower Pleasures Conceptions of Duty Utilitarianism as a standard of conduct o Direct U. o Indirect U. o Act U. o Rule U. 2. 2. Reference to Prof. Song's Qs 1. Emphasis on H/L pleasures --- How they are different? What do they mean? 2. Meaning & implication of "competent to judge" 3. Elitist implication of Mill's dichotomy 4. Students' ideas about --- better "to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied" 3. Concluding remarks 10-15 minutes 3.1 Making theory tangible through examples Everyday examples going to dentist, preparing for final exams, consequentialist calculations

Legal cases Posners example Policy/legislation examples seat-belt laws, cap & trade regulations

3. 2. Bridge to future sessions Relation of our current topic to future topics almost 2/3 of what we will cover during the term can be regarded as attempts to create alternative schemes to utilitarianism What to watch for when reading the next session's materials o Key ideas of On Liberty o Its relation to utilitarianism instrumental value of liberty? Intrinsic value? Or both?