An Analysis Of Mill s Utilitarianism And The...

Question 1: An Analysis of Mill’s Utilitarianism and the Impossibility of the Purely Selfless† Act in Kant’s Categorical Imperative John Stuart Mill’s utilitarian philosophy defines the importance of maintaining the greater good of society through collective and individual actions. This type of consensus defines the social contract between the larger social order and the flexibility of these institutions to allow individual actors to amalgamate their opinions and viewpoints as part of healthy interaction in society. Mill defines the greater good of society as the primary goal of the happiness principle for all citizens: â€Å"The multiplication of happiness is, according to the utilitarian ethics, the object of virtue: the occasions on which any person has it in his power to do this on an extended scale† (Mill 23). This approach defines the importance of individuality in society, but this collaboration must provide positive reinforcement of the greater happiness of the people in preserving the unity and lawfulness of society. Bentham (2010) also defines the importance of individuals that â€Å"have been productive of such a greater degree of good† within a utilitarian society (176). These utilitarian philosophies define the importance of the greater good of societal actions, which illustrate the collective will of society. Kant’s deontology in the Categorical Imperative defines the role of â€Å"duty† as being the highest form of service an individual can provide for the community.