Final answer:
John Stuart Mill was indeed critical of Bentham's utilitarian approach, particularly its emphasis on the quantity of pleasure without considering qualitative differences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that John Stuart Mill was critical of Bentham's utilitarian approach to ethics is true. Mill's adaptation of utilitarian theory included a critical viewpoint on Bentham's strictly quantitative assessment of pleasure. Mill introduced the idea of qualitative distinctions among pleasures, arguing that some pleasures are of higher quality than others and should therefore be given more weight in utilitarian calculations.
Unlike Bentham, who considered only the quantity of pleasure, Mill acknowledged that the quality of pleasure could influence the morality of an action, leading to a more complex and nuanced application of utilitarian principles. Through this evolution, Mill connected moral theory with the history of ethics, allowing for qualitative differences in moral judgments and paving the way for a more sophisticated utilitarian philosophy that accounts for the rich texture of human experiences and the complexities of ethical decision-making. While both philosophers held that the rightness of an action is determined by its consequences and the happiness it produces, Mill's assertion that we must assess morality from the perspective of an impartial, benevolent spectator is a distinct development in utilitarian thought.