UTILITARIANISM IN JOHN STUART MILL
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
In the history of philosophy, it is believed that the ultimate end of man is happiness and the only way that leads to (through which one achieves) such goal is by living a moral or virtuous life. Living a virtuous life implies exhibiting and behaving morally right.
Consequently, man employs laws of which its objective is to augment the total happiness of the community as it legislates and protects the people. By the very fact that certain actions and measures inflict suffering and pain, do not make that action to be evil or wrong. There are actions that are not pleasurable yet, are considered morally good and right. Besides, there are yet some other actions that are pleasurable but are evil and wrong.
Moreover, as a result of its simplicity and confirmation of the ideology of majority,pleasure and happiness are what everyone desires, the philosophy of utilitarianism has claimed the imaginations of (generations) men than any other way or system of thinking.
The search for pleasure becomes thus, the motivating force of all the actions of man.
Nonetheless, our concern here is to examine specific ethical theory and its solution to the central question of ethics: what is the yardstick for measuring the moral action of an individual; what is the moral standard of morality? Hitherto, the moral philosophy of John Stuart Mill is an attempt made or proposed as a guide to individual’s actions. His doctrine had influence on the thinking and imagination of men; for it confirmed what most of them already believed as a general thesis. J.S Mill had shared his father’s as well as Bentham’s opposition to William Paley’s theological utilitarianism, ethical intuitionism, moral sense theory of ethics, etc.
As we highlighted earlier, each ethical system has its own view on what makes the action of individual right or wrong, good or bad. There is no general agreement as to the content and the standard norm of morality. Mill, however, did not allow any appeal to alleged rational intuition. He emphasized on the consequences of behaviour as the criterion for what is good instead of a dutiful obedience to formal rules of conduct.
He maintained that utilitarianism gives these reasons by establishing which rules under given circumstance lead to happiness or pleasure and those that lead to unhappiness and pain. The test of a rule of conduct becomes thus, the extent of its conduciveness to happiness while pleasure and pain, the test of right and wrong actions. Utilitarianism, therefore, as a moral theory claims and proposes that the morality of an act consists essentially of its utility as means for attainment of happiness of man. Hence, an act is good if it is useful in achieving pleasure and diminishing pain. John Stuart Mill sets out to prove that the greatest happiness is the sole and ultimate end of man actions.
1.1 Statement Of Problem
There have existed lots of conflicts, disagreements and intolerable attitudes in matters of moral issues as individuals tend to resist the concerted actions demanded in a society. Indeed, from the dawn of philosophy, the question concerning the “Summum Bonum” or “the yardstick for measuring the morality of human actions” has been accounted the main problem in speculative thought. It therefore, gave rise to various sects and schools carrying on a vigorous warfare against one another.
The utilitarian principle is seen and has been held as the true standard of morality and most reliable measurement for distinguishing good actions from the bad actions. The goodness (right) or badness (wrong) of an action lies in its usefulness as means for attainment of happiness or pleasure and diminishing pain.
Nevertheless, the utilitarianism has been unable to deal with certain kinds of moral issues like rights and justice. There are certain actions that utilitarianism regards as morally right yet, they violate people’s right and deny them of justice too. This implies that utilitarianism looks only at how much utility is produced and fails to take into account how that utility is achieved or distributed among members of a society. More still, it becomes difficult too to evaluate the ethical propriety of any decision. It means therefore that utilitarianism seems to ignore certain important aspects of ethics since; it holds the principle that right actions in any situation are the one that will produce the greatest benefit(s). Hence, the end justifies the means but this principle is unacceptable.
1.2 Purpose Of Study
Life itself in a society demands a concerted action. Simply put, people should have the same kind of attitude in moral terrain. We cannot live at least humanly without in some ways guide our lives. There ought to be a justification of the human actions to be executed in view of their end(s) thus- the moral theory among which is Utilitarianism.
It is important to note that the subject matter of ethics is human act viewed from moral rightness or wrongness. Consequently, theory of Utilitarianism posited by J.S Mill serves as a social instrument for controlling, designating, influencing, moulding and redirecting other people’s attitude. The purpose of this principle (utilitarianism) therefore, should be noted without doubt as to enable human beings to live good and moral life.
We shall therefore, examine critically theory of utilitarianism and its proposition with a view to helping individuals to be able to approach moral issues with an open mind thereby building a better society.
1.3 Scope Of Research
This research work centres on the utilitarian principle as highlighted by John Stuart Mill. However, other commentaries and views that appraised the utilitarianism are welcomed.
1.4 Methodology
The method of approach in this research work is expository. It also employed analytical and evaluative forms in explaining the doctrine posited by John Stuart Mill for evaluating and justifying the individual actions as good or bad, right or wrong.
1.5 Division Of Work
This research work is composed of the general introduction with four chapters. The general introduction relays a brief summary of the doctrine of utility and influence of J.S Mill as well as methodological consideration of the entire research work. The chapter one centres on the notion, meaning and forms of utilitarianism while, the second chapter examines some related literature on utilitarianism from the history of philosophy.
Chapter three dwells on the brand of utilitarianism developed by J.S Mill as well as inquiring the susceptibility of theory. The final chapter is the area of critical evaluation and conclusion. It looks further into the implications of Mill’s utilitarian principle and an awareness of the absolute happiness God.
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
The review of relevant literature is the main topic of this chapter. A literature review covers theoretical and methodological contributions to a certain issue in addition to the state of knowledge at the time of writing. It provides information about the state of the art in relation to the subject you are writing about. It examines the body of work on the chosen subject. The literature evaluation in this study comprises the …
Procedure for Downloading the PDF (Docx) Material
Utilitarianism in John Stuart Mill (A Critical Appraisal) can be downloaded by requesting the full set of materials at the project or seminar cost. The document will be sent via Microsoft Word (MS-Word) format via WhatsApp (e-mail) following payment confirmation.
| Seminar Material Cost ₦3,000 | Project Material Cost ₦5,000 |
Request Complete Material
 | Click here to request the Complete Material via WhatsApp including;
|
Disclaimer for Complete Material Utilization
The displayed research work titled "Utilitarianism in John Stuart Mill" is stated as a research guideline towards accomplishing your assigned project / seminar research work. All the research materials on this website are ONLY for research purposes and should be used as a guideline in developing your research work. For no reason should you copy word for word as projectlist.com.ng will not be liable for any who copied the material. By ordering the complete research guideline, it signifies that you've accepted our terms of service.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can the material for “Information System for Computerized Restaurant Management” be used as a guide for Software Engineering Project?
Yes it can be used — Computerized restaurant management information system is database program that keeps record of all transaction carried out in the restaurant on daily bases. The aim of the study is to design and implement a computerized restaurant management information system. In achieving this aim, the following objectives were laid out to determine how computerized management information system has facilitated increase productivity, decrease paperwork, and ability to analyze trouble spots. The motivation that led to the implementation of the proposed system is that the use of manual method in keeping information in the system. So among the numerous problems associated with the existing system are; staff are spending far too much time chasing mistakes instead of tending to customers, sales going unrecorded, inventory …
Can the material for “Female Entrepreneurs Survival and Its Impact in this Generation” be used as a guide for Entrepreneurship Project?
Yes it can be used — The study scrutinizes the Female Entrepreneurs Survival and Its Impact in this Generation using Lagos State Residents as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out to examine the factors instigating Female Entrepreneurs Survival in the 21st Century, unveil the environment challenges confronting female entrepreneurs' business survival, identify the impact of business environment on female entrepreneurships productivity and assess governments monitoring and control activities to ensure female entrepreneurship performance in sustaining economic development in Lagos State. The research design used in this report is descriptive design, utilizing questionnaire method to obtain information from the respondents for this project. A total of 150 (one hundred and fifty) respondents were selected for this study to represent …
Can the material for “Challenges SMEs Face in Acquiring Loans From Banks” be used as a guide for Business Administration and Management (BAM) Project?
Yes it can be used — Small and Medium-sized Enterprises make significant contribution to the socio-economic and political infrastructure of developed and developing countries. The ability of SMEs to develop, grow, sustain and strengthen themselves is heavily dependent on their capacity to access and manage finance. The ability to access finance is a major factor affecting the growth and success of SMEs. Many businesses face a lot of challenges acquiring loans from banks and SMEs are the most affected. This thesis reviews the debt options available to SMEs, the determining factors banks consider before granting loans to SMEs and make comparative analysis of the challenges SMEs face in accessing bank loans between Finland and Ghana, and recommend solutions in averting the challenges. The findings of thesis shows …
Can the material for “Methagenomic Identification of Methanogens Isolated from the Soil on Onion Plant” be used as a guide for Microbiology Project?
Yes it can be used — The study determines the Methagenomic Identification of Methanogens Isolated from the Soil on Onion Plant in Gada Local Government Area Sokoto State Nigeria. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out to identify the methanogens isolated from the Soil on Onion Plant, identify the best performing onion genotype with good storage under field and room conditions, examine the prevalence of Nematode Species in Onion Farms, and find out how methanogens in Onion Farms is distributed in Gada Local Government Area Sokoto State Nigeria. Data used in this work is derived primary from secondary sources. The methodology therefore, is basically documentary in nature. This involves learning new facts and principles through the study of documents and records. The …
Is the topic “Teachers` Perception of Motivation as a Measure of Increasing Efficiency in the Teaching Profession” recommended for Education Project?
Yes it is highly recommended — Teachers` motivation has been found to be a measure of increasing efficiency in the teaching profession. This research work examined the teachers` perception of motivation as a measure of increasing efficiency in the teaching profession. To affect the purpose, three hypotheses were formulated, while literatures relevant to the study were reviewed with a view of showing its relevance to the study. The descriptive survey research design was employed using random sampling technique in obtaining the samples for the study. Seventy-five (75) questionnaire copies were designed and administered to teachers from five secondary schools in Amuwo-odofin. Three research hypotheses were formulated and analyzed using chi-square inferential statistic. The findings revealed that, teachers` motivation is major determinant in their morale to perform in …
Can the material for “Portfolio Management in Nigeria Banking Sector” be used as a guide for Banking and Finance (BF) Project?
Yes it can be used — The study empirically examined the Portfolio Management in Nigeria Banking Sector using Access Bank PLC as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out to find our portfolio management practices of access bank, central banks of Nigeria credit guidelines and suggest ways of correcting any deviation and maximize the after tax return by investing in various taxes saving investment instruments projects form. The research design used in this report is descriptive design, utilizing questionnaire method to obtain information from the respondents for this project. A total of 133 (one hundred and thirty three) respondents were selected for this study to represent the entire population of the study. For null hypotheses were formulated and tested …
Can the material for “Impact of Micro-Finance Banks on SMEs in Nigeria” be used as a guide for Finance Project?
Yes it can be used — The critical causes on why financing small and medium scale industries by microfinance banks in Nigeria have not been very effective were evaluated. Not only are the SMEs starved with financial back-up, they are also faced with other external problems such as high interest rates, inconsistency in government industrial policies, lack of infrastructural facilities and internally; poor management practices, high rate of business failure, poor accounting standards, shortage of skilled manpower and financial indiscipline. In view of these numerous problems, this research work was conducted so as to come out with solutions as this will pave way for banks to have more confidence in financing these SMEs efficiently and effectively as against hitherto , their stringent lending policies and the …
Can the material for “The Evaluation of Microorganisms on Garri At Ogbete Market” be used as a guide for Science Laboratory Technology (SLT) Project?
Yes it can be used — In the work, samples of Garri obtained from Ogbete market were evaluated for microbial contamination. Four sample of Garri from different sources of supple were collected from Ogbete main market Enugu Okwo, Nkalagu, Emene, and Abakaliki respectively. The sample were extracted using equal volume of sterile distilled water and serially diluted appropriately and the cultured for the growth of microben. The growth were further suspected to biochemical tests, characterization for confirmatory diagnosis organism isolated include staphylococcus aureus, clostridium perferingens, Clostridium botulism and vibroi parahamolyticus. The evaluation show that Abakaliki Garri have more microbial spores than others. This can be because of handler or jute bag or moisture which help in the increase of the microbial load. This was involve the microbial …
Can the material for “Multi-Level Intrusion Detection and Log Management System in Cloud Computing” be used as a guide for Computer Science Education Project?
Yes it can be used — Cloud Computing is a new type of service which provides large scale computing resource to each customer. Cloud Computing systems can be easily threatened by various cyber-attacks, because most of Cloud Computing systems provide services to so many people who are not proven to be trustworthy.Therefore, a Cloud Computing system needs to contain some Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) for protecting each Virtual Machine (VM) against threats. In this case, there exists a trade-off between the security level of the IDS and the system performance. If the IDS provide stronger security service usingmore rules or patterns, then it needs much more computing resources in proportion to the strength of security. So the amount of resources allocating for customersdecreases. Another problem in …
Can this topic “Effect of Slide Game on Student’s Achievements and Interest in Algebraic Concepts” be used for Education Project?
Yes it can be utilized for research — The performances of students in mathematics, especially in external examinations like West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE/SSCE) and National Examination Council (NECO) have continued to deteriorate year by year. The conventional method used in teaching in our schools seems not to yield any positive results, and how to solve the problem has becomes a source of worry to mathematics educators. The nature of mathematics demands that it should be taught using activity based approach. If teaching methods which are activity based as suggested by psychologists like J. Bruner, J Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are used, then better results will be achieved. Therefore this study was designed to investigate the efficacy of the use of slide game approach on students’ achievements …