Final answer:
John Stuart Mill believes that humans are not degraded to the level of animals when pursuing pleasure as the highest goal because they have the capacity for higher pleasures. These pleasures are rooted in our higher cognitive faculties and provide qualitative forms of satisfaction distinct from the basic, sensory pleasures animals experience.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Stuart Mill's assertion that the doctrine of pleasure as the highest goal does not degrade humans to the level of animals is based on his distinction between higher and lower pleasures. Mill argues that humans have unique higher cognitive faculties such as reason, imagination, and moral sense, which allow them to experience higher pleasures distinct from the mere satisfaction of basic needs, which he associates with lower pleasures similar to animalistic experiences.
Higher pleasures include intellectual, artistic, and social engagements that contribute to one's overall well-being and are unique to human experience. These higher forms of pleasure are characterized not just by intensity but by their qualitative richness. Therefore, prioritizing such pleasures aligns with a more dignified understanding of what it means to be human, rather than equating human pleasure with that of animals.
Furthermore, dissatisfaction in humans can also be a source of higher pleasures, as it can motivate us to improve situations, strive for progress, and hence experience a profound form of fulfillment.