John Stuart Mill Group

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hawaholmes
hawaholmes

According to John Stuart Mill, why should we choose pleasure or pain as the arbiters of morality?

human developed that self esteem if not relate to pain

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Posted by hawaholmes on Thursday February 26, 2009 at 8:02 AM and tagged with chapter 1, john stuart mill, utilitarianism.

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  1. gbeatty Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    Well, let me start by stating that I don't think we should. However, using Mill's reasoning, there are certain solid reasons we should. First, doing so provides a universal binary scale: you can appraise just two factors, pleasure and pain, rather than duty, religious imperative, etc. This provides a strong universal reference. Second, this unified scale would seem to escape the conflicting claims that so trouble people: what happens when two duties clash? When legal duty and religion clash? This scale dissolves those. Third, it allows for a kind of universal calculus of ethics—a hope of objectivity.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/john-stuart-mill-salem/john-stuart-...

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    Posted by gbeatty on Thursday February 26, 2009 at 11:40 AM