The purpose of this research is to examine John Stuart Mill's theory of utilitarianism. The plan of the research will be to set forth the main pattern of ideas that Mill includes in his discussion of utilitarianism and then to evaluate the premises of the theory as an adequate account of moral philosophy. This research will seek to show that Mill's principles offer an adequate idealization of normative moral structures but that they do not necessarily survive closer scrutiny when the ideal form is meant to explain real-world motives for human attitudes, action, and behavior.
The mission of discourse that Mill sets for his discussion of Utilitarianism is one of proving the principle of Utility, which can be interpreted as setting what he calls a "moral standard" by which to conduct discourse in moral philosophy. Repeatedly Mill refers to Utilitarianism as a conception, which implies that it is a first principle or hypothesis of a totalizing moral philosophy or "theory of life," which in turn contains subsidiary attributes (e.g., virtue) that are meant to be defined in terms of it. To the degree Utilitarianism offers a totalistic moral structure, it is a critique of competing moral philosophy. Moral structures that have already been identified by other commentators are instrumental for Mill, meaning they may be discussed, incorporated, or rejected, as appropriate, into the discussion of Utilitarianism. This would help explain Mill's interpretation of Epicureanism to assist in explicating the Utilitarian principle as the principle of happiness or the highest human good. Actually his views are presented as a reinterpretation, his point being that Epicureanism has been misunderstood by the philosophers of his own age as, presumably, merely thoughtless hedonism. He argues that Epicureanism has more in common with Christianity (a philosophy of sacrifice) and Stoicism (a philosophy of grace under pressure). Indirectly, he is arguing that...