Running Head: Critique on Mills

Argument essay Ethics Dominic Percell Philosophy 1000 Salt a!e Community College "#$0#1%

Critique on Mills Argument essay ethics & argue that Mill's argument (or utilitarianism )rings (orth un*anted consequences that *ere not intended+ Mills argument for utilitarianism

P1+ &( each person's happiness is desira)le (or himsel(, then happiness is a desira)le thing itsel(+ P$+ &( happiness is a desira)le thing, then the general happiness o( society is desira)le+ P"+ Humans do desire to increase their happiness+ C+ So, you should act to promote the o-erall happiness o( society+ .or premise one it is really simple, e-eryone *ants to )e happy so happiness is a desira)le thing itsel(+ &t means that the pursuit o( happiness is desira)le in itsel( and that e-eryone *ants to )e happy+ .or premise t*o it says that i( happiness is a desira)le thing then the general happiness o( society is desira)le+ /asically i( you *ant to )e happy you should also *ant e-eryone else to )e happy *hich is true almost all the time+ Also i( society is happy then e-eryone is happy+ .or premise three it's true that e-eryone in some *ay desires a (orm o( happiness+ &t's true that *e a-oid things that )ring us discom(ort o( pain and stri-e things that ma!e us happy and (eel good+ .or the conclusion it says that you should act to promote o-erall happiness (or the *hole o( society+ A good quote (or this is 0the needs o( the many out*eigh the needs o( the (e*+1 /asically you should parta!e in actions that *ill promote the most happiness to the most people+

Critique on Mills Critique on Mill 2hrough Mill's idea o( utilitarianism many un*anted consequences ha-e happened throughout time+ 3ne o( the )iggest and most nota)le *as the idea o( Communism+ 2he )ase idea o( communism *as to ha-e e-eryone )e equal (or *hate-er they did and that this *ould

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promote the most happiness to the most people+ 2his ho*e-er *as not the case and Communism caused lots o( pain and su((ering+ &t *asn't the idea that *as (undamentally *rong )ut the e4ecution o( the idea, *hich is the most common do*n(all o( almost all utilitarian societies+ 2he idea o( promoting the most happiness to the greatest amount o( people is a really good idea )ut *e almost al*ays e-entually (ail in our e4ecution o( the idea+ &n many cases li!e Communism, to achie-e the most happiness to the most people something usually needs to )e sacri(iced+ A good e4ample o( this is an episode o( the t*ilight 5one that *e *atched in my philosophy class+ &n the episode there is a girl *ho is (aced *ith the decision o( changing her )ody to one o( t*o models+ E-eryone she tal!s to that has had it says that it is a normal thing and that she should do it and that it has )ecome !ind o( li!e a passage into adulthood+ 6hen she is tal!ing a)out the doctor to it he says that )y ha-ing the operation she *ill )ecome )eauti(ul li!e e-eryone else and *ould ha-e no diseases and *ould li-e much longer+ 2his concerns her and she says, 0&( e-eryone is )eauti(ul then no one is )eauti(ul,1 and she as!s i( she can ha-e the operation 7ust to ma!e it so she doesn't get diseases and e4tend her li(e e4pectancy+ 2he doctor says that it is technically possi)le )ut doesn't understand *hy she doesn't *ant to )e )eauti(ul+ So the doctor has her put into a clinic to )e e4amined and ma!e sure e-erything is (ine *ith her+ 6hile she is there she snea!s out and accidently goes into a room and it's the operating room (or the )ody changing procedure and they pretty much (orce her to ha-e it+ A(ter the operation she

Critique on Mills )ecomes a totally di((erent person, she says she's happy and li!es her ne* )ody )ut her old personality and *ay o( thin!ing are all )ut gone+ 2he episode & 7ust descri)ed is an e4ample o( ho* to achie-e the most happiness to the

most people can go quite *rong+ &n this case to achie-e it e-eryone *as essentially (orced to gi-e up his or her personality and indi-idualism+ 2his society seems )ad to us at (irst glance and it is, )ut they did accomplish ma!ing e-eryone happy and a)olished almost e-erything that causes pain+ 2he price (or these things though meant gi-ing up *ho you are and *hat you thin!+ & )elie-e and & thin! most people *ould agree that gi-ing up *ho you are and your ideas is too high o( a price to pay+ Here is another situation, there are three people on one rail *ay and one person on another connecter rail*ay, you are at a s*itch that *ill change the course o( the train to ether hit the three people or the one person+ At (irst you pro)a)ly automatically thin! sa-e the tree people and sacri(ice the one+ 6ith no !no*ledge o( the people that is *hat a utilitarian *ould say to, )ut *hat i( the one person is someone (amous and lo-ed )y e-eryone and the three other people are 7ust some homeless people that no one really cares a)out+ 8ou might still say to sa-e the three people )ut a utilitarian *ould sa-e the one (amous person )ecause that person *ould )ring the most happiness to the most people+ 9o* *hat i( the one person *as your child or a lo-ed one and the other three *ere (amous people e-eryone lo-ed+ 8ou *ould *ithout a seconded thought pro)a)ly sa-e your child or lo-ed one+ 6hereas a utilitarian *ould tell you to sacri(ice your child or lo-ed one to sa-e the (amous people )ecause they *ould )ring more happiness to society+

Critique on Mills 6ith Mills argument (or utilitarianism it's -ery easy (or people to get un*anted

consequences out o( practicing it+ 6hether it's on a personal le-el or societal le-el it's -ery easy (or things to go *rong *hen putting these ideas into practice+

Bibliography Sources: 6ere general in class notes and discussions+