Question

John Stuart Mill: Ethics

picture of MillThe ethical theory of John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) is most extensively articulated in his classical text Utilitarianism (1861). Its goal is to justify the utilitarian principle as the foundation of morals. This principle says actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote overall human happiness. So, Mill focuses on consequences of actions and not on rights nor ethical sentiments.

This article primarily examines the central ideas of his text Utilitarianism, but the article’s last two sections are devoted to Mill’s views on the freedom of the will and the justification of punishment, which are found in System of Logic (1843) and Examination of Sir William Hamilton’s Philosophy (1865), respectively.

Educated by his father James Mill who was a close friend to Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill came in contact with utilitarian thought at a very early stage of his life. In his Autobiography he claims to have introduced the word "utilitarian" into the English language when he was sixteen. Mill remained a utilitarian throughout his life. Beginning in the 1830s he became increasingly critical of what he calls Bentham’s "theory of human nature". The two articles "Remarks on Bentham’s Philosophy" (1833) and "Bentham" (1838) are his first important contributions to the development of utilitarian thought. Mill rejects Bentham’s view that humans are unrelentingly driven by narrow self-interest. He believed that a "desire of perfection" and sympathy for fellow human beings belong to human nature. One of the central tenets of Mill’s political outlook is that, not only the rules of society, but also people themselves are capable of improvement.

Is the main question for political modern legal thought is J.S. Mill's principle?

Answer 1

John Stuart Mill's principle of utility impacts political modern legal thought by emphasizing action outcomes in terms of happiness and overall well-being while advocating for individual freedoms within the harm principle.

Step-by-step explanation:

John Stuart Mill's principle of utility posits that actions are right as they tend to promote happiness and wrong as they tend to produce the opposite of happiness. This utilitarian ethic emphasizes consequences over inherent rights or ethical sentiments. In the scope of political modern legal thought, Mill's principle serves as a critical foundation. By underlining the importance of the outcomes of actions and how they contribute to the overall well-being, this approach becomes influential in various applications ranging from legislation to economic policies. The principle is often invoked when debating laws and regulations, especially those that seek to balance individual freedoms with the greater good of society. Mill's harm principle further elucidates this by suggesting that individuals should have the freedom to act as they wish, so long as they do not harm others, thus providing a basis for liberal thought in modern legal systems.