Final answer:
Mill's utilitarian ethics differentiates between higher pleasures, linked to our higher cognitive faculties, and lower, basic sensory pleasures. This qualitative distinction in pleasure seeks to maximize well-being through personal and cultural development, challenging Bentham's purely quantitative approach.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Stuart Mill's distinction between higher pleasures and lower pleasures is a central concept in his version of utilitarian ethics. Higher pleasures are those associated with the exercise of our higher cognitive faculties, such as reason, imagination, and a moral sense. These pleasures contribute to personal development and are uniquely human, leading to a more meaningful and fulfilled life. In contrast, lower pleasures are basic sensory experiences, such as the satisfaction of hunger or relaxation after physical exertion, which are more ephemeral and do not significantly contribute to personal growth.
Mill's utilitarianism differentiates itself from Bentham's by giving more weight to these qualitative differences in pleasure, rather than merely calculating the quantity of pleasure. This distinction allows for a more nuanced moral judgment that recognizes the complexity and richness of human experiences, and suggests that it is better to experience the complexities of dissatisfaction as a human than to be merely content with simple, animalistic pleasures.
Some critics of utilitarianism suggest that basing ethics on such a hedonistic foundation as pleasure is problematic due to its subjective nature. However, in Mill's framework, qualitative distinctions in pleasure lead to a more informed approach to maximizing well-being, encompassing more than just physical satisfaction and including the cultivation of our higher faculties.