mill "on liberty"

What constitutes happiness and pleasure for a human being, and how does Mill respond to the criticism that the Utilitarian focus on pleasure makes the theory base and fit only for swine? The core issue is the philosophical definition and quality of pleasure.

overarching question

Mill claims that Utilitarianism's standard of right action is not the agent's own happiness, but the happiness of all concerned, and that happiness is defined as pleasure and the absence of pain. Crucially, he asserts that pleasures differ not just in quantity (intensity and duration) but also in quality, distinguishing between higher and lower pleasures.

main claim

Mill argues for the distinction between higher and lower pleasures by appealing to the judgment of competent judges: those who have experienced both kinds of pleasure. He contends that those who are acquainted with both intellectual (higher) and sensual (lower) pleasures consistently and greatly prefer the pleasures that employ their higher faculties (e.g., intellect, imagination, moral sentiment). This preference, even if accompanied by a degree of dissatisfaction, proves that the higher pleasures are qualitatively superior.

argument for claim

A counterargument is the "doctrine worthy of swine" objection, which criticizes Utilitarianism for reducing the complex goal of human life to mere pleasure, equating human happiness with the base satisfaction of animals. Critics argue that this view of life is degrading and cannot adequately account for the distinct dignity and complex moral aspirations of human beings.

counter argument

Mill rebuts this by arguing that the critics themselves fail to recognize that human beings possess faculties far more elevated than animal appetites. He insists that the utility principle, when rightly understood, incorporates pleasures derived from the intellect, feelings, imagination, and moral sentiments, which are qualitatively superior to mere sensation. This distinction means that human pleasure is not the same as swine pleasure, effectively incorporating human dignity into the utilitarian calculus.

rebuttal