Utilitarianism Essay

Utilitarianism Essay
Utilitarianism is an evaluation of an action, whether it is favorably or unfavorably affected by the
people, which is based upon their consequences. It is an ethical philosophy that has the procurement
of achieving the maximum amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. There are two
Classical Utilitarian philosophers, Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, who believed that the
greatest good in the world was attaining pleasure and the avoidance of pain. It was the idea that the
goal for overall happiness was created for the society by an action of someone's well–doing.
Jeremy Bentham was a social reformer, political radical, and founder of Utilitarianism. He viewed
the philosophy through laws instead of ethics; hoping that it would
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Response To Nozick's Mental State Theory Of Wellbeig
Hedonism is a form of wellbeing theory about what is best in our interest and what is good for us.
According to hedonism, wellbeing relies solely on pleasure experienced. Although there are some
hedonist theories that values extrinsic pleasure, in this essay we will be looking at hedonism that
values pleasure felt from inside, i.e., hedonism as a mental state theory of wellbeing. This theory has
met quite a numbers of objections. We will focus on one such popular objection developed by
Robert Nozick. Nozick challenged the mental state theories of wellbeing with his thought
experiment about an experience machine. This objection is sought out as ultimate weapon to
"knockdown" hedonism (Weijers 2010, pp. 1). There has been attempts made to defend hedonism
from this objection. Few of these responses will be discussed to determine if they are able to
successfully overcome Nozick's objection. Pleasure and pain mentioned will automatically refer to
the intrinsic sensations, not physical activity nor as external ... Show more content on
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Reality matter intrinsically to us because it acquaints us with experiences that makes us feel pain
and pleasure from inside. The experiences that Nozick's machine offers are deceptions because the
machine fools us into thinking that we are actually experiencing pleasure. The illusion of being a
great soccer player when you are not talented may be good for you at the moment. But it is better to
face the truth and pursue another interest that you are talented at, for it would give you more
pleasure in long run. Deception ultimately result in pain. So, spending a lifetime plugged to the
machine would give more pain than pleasure. Therefore, people choose reality over experience
machine because reality could provide more pleasure than the experience machine. Nozick is wrong
for indicating that there are other things that matters more than

Ethical Hedonism In The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby characterizes the general lifestyle of the wealthy, rich, and entitled of a particular
time period: the Roaring Twenties. In this age, there was economic prosperity, which only served to
deeply divide and widen the gap between the poor and rich. Moreover, there were also many ideals
and social changes which came into fruition. In fact, during the Roaring Twenties, when The Great
Gatsby takes place, the hedonistic lifestyle was especially rampant. Furthermore, with that kind of
lifestyle, money must be involved in order to supply it, and then, even more unforeseen
consequences from both supporting and living that lifestyle.
This hedonistic lifestyle, which is so prominent and driving within the plot, stems from the origin on
the hedonistic lifestyle itself, hedonism. Hedonism categorizes into two parts: one being ethical and
the other psychological. Ethical hedonism is the black and white interpretation of hedonism through
pleasures and displeasures. One clear figure of ethical hedonism is none other than the novel's main
antagonist, Tom Buchanan, as he goes after everything he wants. Tom sees something he wants and
he goes for it regardless of the fact that he is married or whether the woman he wants is married as
well. Tom sees only pleasures and displeasures and considers nothing else. Next, psychological
hedonism relies on a much deeper level and serves as both the support and reasoning behind ethical
hedonism and the hedonistic lifestyle. This type of

Hedonism In Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray
Since the beginning, religion has provided humanity with a manual to which there lives are dictated
off of. It provides a belief system with what one can and cannot do. Although there are many
restrictictions, it promises its followers a greater reward in the end. The drive for this, is what keeps
many religious believers in line and far away from a dangerous life run by hedonism. In the
cautionary tale, The picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde uses characterization to further emphasize
the theme of the dangers of living a life of hedonism. Dorian Gray is first introduced to the idea of
Hedonism in a conversation with Lord Henry when he is told to open his eyes and do as he please
rather than what is seen as moral and ethical. The first instance of the dangers of Hedonism seen in
Wilde's novel is after this conversation, when Sybil Vane passes away. When Basil Howard comes
to Dorian's house and break the news about Sybil's death, Dorian gives absolutely no expression and
no remorse for the situation. Dorian goes from being the light hearted naive man to a soulless human
being after that conversation with Lord Henry. It is inevitable that the act of Hedonism decays one's
soul as stated by Oscar Wilde. As a result instead of feeling sad, praying for himself and her and
talking with her family he acts as if it was just a pity. For Dorian Gray the only way to keep his
Hedonistic lifestyle of constant pleasure, he will have to also cut out sadness from his life. This can
be

Robert Nozick's Experiment, The Experience Machine and the...
The Experience Machine and the Inclusion of Meta–Pleasure
Robert Nozick is a philosopher who seeks to disprove the utilitarian notion of hedonism through a
thought experiment that he has entitles "The Experience Machine" (Nozick 646). I will first explain
the concept of utilitarianism and hedonism, then the experience machine before I give a reply about
the inclusion of a third category of pleasure which I have called "meta–pleasure". Finally, I will
show how technology may be disproving the entire experience machine thought experiment
altogether.
Utilitarianism is a moral theory that seeks to define right and wrong actions based solely on the
consequences they produce. By utilitarian standards, an act is determined to be right if and ... Show
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He states that we desire, more so than pleasure, to live a life "in contact with reality" (Nozick 646).
However, I am not convinced that this example on its own proves hedonism false. Perhaps the idea
very idea of connecting to a machine and losing contact to reality is in itself painful to us, as it
presents us with an existential crisis, and so we choose not to connect to avoid the painful thoughts
associated with having one's mind controlled by a machine. Perhaps, there is a third category of
pleasures that could be called "meta–pleasures" that are the pleasures that come from knowing that
we are in touch with reality and that what we are doing is having a real effect. Much like personal
safety, meta–pleasure is only tangible when it is threatened. We are not able to be aware of or "feel"
our safety, we become aware of it only when it is threatened by something else, as is the case with
meta–pleasure. We only become aware of meta–pleasure when something like an experience
machine threatens our notion of the reality we are experiencing and suggests that our minds could be
completely controlled by a machine. If meta–pleasure is something that is real, then the experience
machine thought experiment would only further prove hedonism because it shows that we will
desire things which are pleasurable and avoid those that are painful. On the other hand,

Hedonism: Morality and Q. no.
Answer to Q. No. 1 Hedonism (Greek: hēdonē (ᾑδονή from Ancient Greek) "pleasure" +–ism) is a
philosophical position that takes the pursuit of pleasure as the primary motivating element of life,
based upon a view that "pleasure is good" i.e. pleasure has an ultimate importance and is the most
important pursuit of humanity. The concept of pleasure is, however, understood and approached in a
variety of ways, and hedonism is classified accordingly. The three basic types of philosophical
hedonism are psychological hedonism, which holds that the tendency to seek pleasure and avoid
pain is an essential attribute of human nature; evaluative or ethical hedonism, which sets up certain
ethical or moral ends as desirable because attaining them ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Due to diverse approach and need of people, Utilitarian concept will always lead to rift among
masses. Answer to Q. No. 3 As defined above, the concept of Classic utilitarianism is
epistemological. Classic Utilitarian believes in greatest benefit to greatest numbers. The concept of
benefit is very subjective. What may be a right for a group of people may be adverse against the
interest of individuals. Even if qualitative hedonism is coherent and is a kind of hedonism, it still
might not seem plausible. Some critics argue that not all pleasures are valuable, since, for example,
there is no value in the pleasures of a sadist while whipping a victim. Other opponents object that
not only pleasures are intrinsically valuable, because other things are valuable independently of
whether they lead to pleasure or avoid pain. For example, my love for my wife does not seem to
become less valuable when I get less pleasure from her because she contracts some horrible disease.
Similarly, freedom seems valuable even when it creates anxiety, and even when it is freedom to do
something (such as leave one's country) that one does not want to do. Again, many people value
knowledge of other galaxies regardless of whether this knowledge will create pleasure or avoid pain.
Answer to Q. No. 4 Criticism of Utilitarian: – 1. Utilitarianism gives no special moral weight to
things like promises and contracts. If the world would be a slightly better or

Hedonism Beliefs
Hedonism
Beliefs ("Hedonism")
Only pleasure has worth or value and only pain or displeasure has disvalue.
Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure.
It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do.
History
Hedonism is derived from the Greek "hedone" meaning simply "pleasure". In common language,
Hedonism has come to mean devotion to pleasure as a way of life, especially to the pleasures of the
senses.(Moore)
The earliest example of Hedonism was the philosophy of the Cyrenaics, an early Socratic school
founded by Aristippus of Cyrene, in the 4th Century B.C. (although, Democritus had an extremely
similar philosophy even earlier). ("The Birth").
During the Middle Ages, Christian philosophers largely discredited Hedonism, because they didn't
believe that it was consistent with the Christian emphasis on avoiding sin. However, Renaissance
philosophers such as Erasmus and Sir Thomas revived Hedonism to some extent, defending it on the
religious grounds that pleasure was in fact compatible with ... Show more content on
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For Epicurus, happiness was the complete absence of bodily and mental pains, including fear of the
Gods and desires for anything other than the bare necessities of life. Even with only the limited
excesses of ancient Greece on offer, Epicurus advised his followers to avoid towns, and especially
marketplaces, in order to limit the resulting desires for unnecessary things. Once we experience
unnecessary pleasures, such as those from sex and rich food, we will then suffer from painful and
hard to satisfy desires for more and better of the same.

Compare And Contrast Man And Hedonism
MAN VS HEDONISM: THE QUEST OF SELFISH
Angelika F. Young
I. Introduction
Philosophy, study the history of human thought. And it requires great ideas to understand all the life
big questions. This paper aimed to know, how man become selfish, because of Hedonism. This
philosophical theme will let us understand more what hedonism is. And in this paper, I shall be
identifying which is higher in Hedonism the Pleasure or the pain.
The hedonism, according to the Greek Philosophy is that pleasure is the important pursuit of a
human person and the only good thing for all persons. In Greek Philosophy, they believe that the
pleasure is good for everyone's life, while the pain that the individual experience was only an evil to
everyone's life. And it ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
That's why most of us become selfish. But as I go to the deep understanding about the hedonism, I
conclude that every one of us has selfishness in our body that we can't remove in our own body even
we don't meet our happiness or pleasure in our life because it is natural to all of us to have it, but it
is up to us if we will use it in good or evil things in this world. Because the Hedonism that we
experience or the selfishness that we experience may be the absence of good things that we should
do. Also, I conclude that the most important among the Pleasure and pain, is the pleasure is the most
important to all of us because according to Aristippus "hedonism is the most important pursuit of
pleasure over pain", but in any happiness that we receive or experience there is always sadness or
pain in all because all of us have selfishness in our body. That's why even we want to be happy until
we have pleasure in our body it is useless to meet our true happiness in life because in every
pleasure that we feel for our self or even to other there is always selfishness present in our lives in
the

A Critique Of Hedonism And Utilitarianism
Ethics and Morality Ethics ties together philosophy and human morality, it explores the techniques
and principles used to evaluate human actions on their goodness, badness, rightness, and wrongness.
In this paper, I am going to give a critique of hedonism and utilitarianism. (and answer the question
of what makes something good or bad) Humans cannot be truly objective when it comes to morality.
In theory, morality is supposed to be unbiased, but when it is put into the hands of humans, there is
always going to be errors. Naturally, people pursue their self–interest without thinking much about if
it is morally right or wrong. However, I do believe that God has given us a set of laws as to what is
right or wrong without being bias over it, but we can even interpret that in the wrong ways. Some
points that may be argued for certain things that are always truly wrong include: rape, child abuse,
or murder, but there are still times when murder may not be considered wrong. For instance, we
have a whole army to go out and kill in order to support our country and keep us safe. Who would
say that was wrong? Another example of humans altering the definition of morality is there are
things about today that are considered right or wrong that were not that way in the past, such as
slavery or woman's rights. How can we call something wrong today and know it will still be that
way tomorrow? In today's society, people are constantly using their thoughts and feelings to justify
morality,

The Philosophy Of Moral Philosophy
Moral Philosophy is rooted in four areas of standards, one of which is the central focus of Hedonist
thinking. The standard of moral philosophy that corresponds directly to Hedonism is known as the
Value Theory. The Value Theory establishes what is "valuable in and of itself, what is worth
pursuing for its own sake"1. Goods that are valuable in their own right are intrinsic values, as
referred to in the previous sentence. Contrary to intrinsic values, instrumental goods have the ability
to lead to valuable things, but don't themselves hold significant value.
Hedonism, at its core, is centered around the pursuit of pleasure and the elimination of pain.
Consequently, when this balance obtained, Hedonist's will argue that an individual is leading a
tranquil life. Above all else, Hedonist philosophers John Stewart Mill and Epicurus, place pleasure
on a pedestal, in the way that pleasure stands alone when considering what is good in its own right.
Furthermore, they provide their insights on goes into the moral doctrine of Hedonism. The "ultimate
good", according to the Hedonist school of thought, is always pleasure, however, this is not a united
stance by all philosophers 2. Opponents to Hedonist thinking, include Jean Kazez, Robert Nozick,
and Chris Heathwood. I argue that pleasure is not the only intrinsic good, rather it is one among
many other goods that hold intrinsic value. To assert my position, I will first discuss Epicurus and
Mill's explanation on what makes

Tom Wingfield Hedonism
Altruism and hedonism are two opposite extremes of how one may react to the idea of pleasure or
happiness. Most people tend to fall in the middle or grab from each side. Another word for altruism
is self–sacrificing while hedonism is self–satisfaction. It is a definite struggle to balance the two in
an everyday routine, and a lot of the time people struggle on discovering the best way to handle
questionable integrity situations. It can be very challenging balancing the happiness of everyone else
and the happiness of the individual. Tom Wingfield nor Jim O'Connor are completely fulfilled with
their lifestyle, Tom seems to show more genuine emotions toward others and himself while Jim
appears to focus more on his outward appearances and how people ... Show more content on
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His emotions are everywhere which is not necessarily a bad thing. All through the play, the viewer
observes how Amanda is capable of pushing her son's buttons. Amanda admits, "However, you do
act strangely. ... I know your ambitions do not lie in the warehouse, that like everybody in the whole
wide world – you've had to make sacrifices, but–Tom–Tom–life's not easy, it calls for–Spartan
endurance!" (1395; 61). As Tom speaks to his mother, the audience sees that he is emotionally
breaking when he speaks, "There's so much in my heart that I can't describe to you!" (1396; 64). The
viewer can just imagine the agony that is coming off of those words. Tom is always running out of
the house. He shares, "I go to the movies because–I like adventure. Adventure is something I don't
have much of at work, so I go to the movies. ... I like a lot of adventure" (1396; 68, 70). Tom is
becoming much aware of how dull his life is compared to the "movies", and he does not like that.
"People go to the movies instead of moving! ... It's our turn now, to go to the South Sea Island–to
make a safari–to be exotic, far–off!– But I'm not patient. I don't want to wait till then. I'm tired of the
movies and I am about to move!" (1409; 114). The way Tom is so emotionally attached to his
dreams is allowed. It is always hard giving up one's own pleasures and joys for

Why Didn T Ford Apply The Utilitarian Principle?
In this case, it is evident that Ford Motors didn't apply the Utilitarian principle. Utilitarianism states
that an act is morally right if it produces greatest amount of good or happiness for the greatest
number of people (Study.com, 2003–2018). But Ford didn't care for the good of the people as they
became ignorant of weakness of fuel tank and continued the production for 8 long years.
Utilitarianism involves 3 different ideas– Consequentialism, Hedonism and Equal Consideration
(Guirguis, 2018). Ford ignored both the consequentialism and hedonism idea. High competition in
the auto market lead to the rush production and launch in the market despite knowing the results of
crash tests. Ford didn't think of happiness and pleasure of the society ... Show more content on
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They ignored the consequences of the weakness in fuel tank and focused on their own profits and
high competition in the market.
2. They became ignorant of people's pain and suffering (didn't focus on maximizing utility by
making changes and thinking of benefit of great number of people) caused due of explosions and
continued producing new units without modifying the flaws.
3. Besides this, they also tried to delay the implementation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
301, rear end provisions, which required making changes in Pinto's fuel tank. Ford used different
techniques, such as arguing against the claim and proving problem Y is more important than
problem X, to delay the implementation (Dowie).
4. It was evident from the product objective that the company wasn't focusing on product safety.
Even crash test results revealed the weakness, they didn't allow the use of one dollar plastic piece for
people's safety (Dowie).
5. Ford's biggest mistake was using the cost benefit analysis concept in this case especially, when
they valued human life for $200,000. Human life is not measurable and can't be used for cost–
benefit analysis as it is priceless. In addition, company kept a secret of other options that could have
been used to improve the fuel tank and with less cost. They gave the wrong computation of both cost
and benefits to give justification at their

Reaction Paper On Hedonism
Hedonism is the view that pleasure is the sole intrinsic good in human life, and that pain is the sole
intrinsic bad in human life. Is hedonism the correct view about what is good for humans? Why or
why not? Discuss, with reference to the arguments of John Stuart Mill ("Hedonism") and/or Robert
Nozick ("The Experience Machine") contained in the course text.
Hedonism, the idea that pleasure is the primary goal in human life, while pain is the solitary intrinsic
bad in human life. I will be looking to prove that despite its initial plausibility, there are flaws in the
concept. In this essay, I will be considering what motivations are behind hedonism and how they can
be contradicted with references to the arguments of John Stuart Mill and Robert ... Show more
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The theory suggests that pleasure and pain rarely have lasting effects on human happiness, and that
we instead maintain a constant level of happiness throughout our lives. Therefore, the pursuit of
pleasure would be futile as increases in our overall happiness would be only temporary. This idea of
'temporariness' is explained by the fact that the pleasures and riches we gain, will simply increase
our own expectations, leaving us no better off than we were before. In addition, this theory holds
empirical evidence behind it. In 1978, Brickman found that 22 lottery winners reported similar
happiness levels before and after their win, and expected to have a similar level of happiness levels
in the near future. With this in mind, how could the pursuit of pleasure be the primary goal in human
life, as perceived advances in pleasure hold no real

Utilitarianism Consequences Essay
Consequences: Utilitarianism In chapter 9, I found utilitarianism the most intriguing lesson. It is a
theory of ethics that assesses actions based on maximizing benefits in reducing the negatives; based
on bouncing human interests. It was developed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, it is a
socially conscious approach to hedonism that holds that the greatest good is to promote happiness
and alleviate suffering for the greatest number of people. ( Chaffee, 9.3) Utilitarianism is the most
common moral theory practiced in the business world today, to break down what it is basically is
morality of an act is judged by it's utility. The greatest utility that it has for the most people; the
greatest usefulness an act has for the most people,

Daniel Haybron Hedonism Essay
I believe Daniel Haybron's critique of Hedonism, 'Happiness and Pleasure' is rationally compelling.
It paints a vivid yet unbiased picture of hedonist theories, carefully explaining the doctrine as well
as the three major forms of hedonism. These are psychological hedonism, evaluative or ethical
hedonism, and reflective or rationalizing hedonism. After this explanation, Haybron explores the
faults with hedonism, specifically that there are many factors that go into one's happiness, rather
than the basic and seemingly instinctual search for gratification through pleasure. These can be
physical, intellectual, and emotional. This shows that happiness is, in fact, a multidimensional,
almost bottomless concept. He then goes on to provide alternate theories that are perhaps more
fitting in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
These three theories are thymos, life satisfaction theory and affective states. In doing so, he further
disproves the hedonistic belief that happiness is equal to pleasure, and that humans solely pursue
pleasure, whether it be in a direct or indirect fashion. I agree with this critique of hedonism, and
wish to explore my reasoning behind agreeing with Haybron, whilst hopefully forming my own
opinion on all the different theories of happiness and potentially forming a theory of my own.
Haybron defines hedonism as 'Happiness, so constructed, reduces completely to a subject's balance
of pleasure over displeasure. Happiness is merely the condition of having a favorable balance of
pleasure over displeasure.' This suggests that in order for humans to remain in a favorable state of
mind, they simply must have a larger amount of pleasure than displeasure in their lives. Happiness is
therefore a purely episodic experiential state. This sort of shallow, fleeting happiness still exists, for
example

What´s Hedonism?
Throughout history, pleasure has been the main goal that drives society. Pleasure can be described as
an accomplishment or satisfaction of physical, intellectual, or spiritual desires. Hedonism, which is
the view that sees pleasure as the only thing worth pursuing for its own sake, and that everything
else is worth pursuing as long as it leads to pleasure. This view appears to be accurate since;
everything that a person could ever want is for some thing to fulfill their desires. A philosopher
named Robert Nozick came up with a scenario named "The Experience Machine". In the future, a
super duper machine created by neuropsychologists that was foolproof and could give an individual
any experience they desired. Also the individual would never know that they were in the machine
(pp. 32). Some people may choose to enter this machine, but there are others who do not. Nozick
then argues that since there are people who do not enter the machine, there is something else worth
pursuing for its own sake other than pleasure itself. Nozick puts up a strong case against Hedonism,
and provides support for his reasons why people would choose not to plug into the machine. First,
Nozick suggests that people want to do certain things and not just to have the experience of doing
those activities (pp. 33). Most of these activities that lead to pleasure are twofold desires, which
requires a person to fulfill both the first and second desire. For example, to write an excellent paper
one must

Stereotypes: What Is Hedonism?
What is hedonism? Maybe most of us do not familiar with this word. Whereas, we could be a
hedonist subconsciously. According to Cambridge Advance Learner's dictionary, hedonism is living
and behaving in ways that mean you get as much pleasure out of life as possible, according to the
belief that the most important thing in life is to enjoy yourself. We called the people who do
hedonism as a hedonist people. Hedonist connotes someone devoted to his own sensual pleasure
(spot.colorado.edu).
Nowadays, hedonism is happening everywhere from adult until teenagers. So, what we must do
through hedonism? Hedonism is a point of view which is assuming that pleasure is the main point of
life. Actually, what is pleasure? According to Webster, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She likes to buy clothes in branded store because she thinks the quality of clothes in branded store is
good. The other interviewee thinks that she is sometimes an exaggerated person in buying food.
Sometimes she eats at the expensive restaurant with her friends. But, both of them realize hedonism
is a bad behavior because they will hard to save money, never satisfied, and waste money because
you want something without knowing whether it is useful or not.
Based on my observation, hedonist usually hard to control their money, picky on associate with
people, more indulge, and more popular. Different with the non–hedonist who independent, thrifty,
and happy just because a simple things. And if there were a problem, hedonist will prefer to spend
their money because it will make them happy and forget about their problem for a while.
Hedonism is also decrease social bonds. The pursuit of individual pleasure will make us less
sensitive to the other's needs. There is an advocate of hedonism who thinks that it comes naturally
for human to pursuit their happiness. So, it is really not that necessary to see hedonism as a problem.
In my opinion, hedonism is a bad behavior. We can see some bad impacts of hedonism such as
waste money, never satisfied with all we had, and can't control the financial, especially for the
teenagers who cannot make money by him/herself and only ask for pocket money from their
parents. It will be better if we

Robert Nozick's Experience Machine
In this essay, following a brief discussion on Nozick's "Experience Machine", I argue that his
assumption that nobody would plug into the experience machine is a false one due to his failure to
fully explore what creates a pleasurable experience. I will then further discuss this idea of pleasure,
suggesting that it is possible that the experience machine could potentially offer an experience that
people would be more inclined to participate in and that more fully imitates reality. However, I will
counter this with the Nozick's affirmation that people desire to connect with reality and mimicry of
reality does not allow a part in the course of our universe.
Robert Nozick suggests in his thought experiment regarding the experience machine that ... Show
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For example, most people may not delight in the process of attending school, but they would still
desire the end goal of becoming a more knowledgeable person or even simply the satisfaction of
completing tasks. This is not hedonistic delight, but a fulfilment of desires through relatively
unpleasant means. Nozick seems to offer through his examples that his machine may possibly
simulate these things, as long as the 'experience' is ultimately a pleasurable one, and I suspect that
this means the result is an elevated feeling of joy. If we offer this deeper, more complicated view on
pleasure and fulfilment and state that the experience machine could still offer this to us, it seems
possible that people would be inclined to disagree with Nozick's idea that nobody would plug into
the

Rule And Act Utilitarianism Essay
Rule and Act Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is the ethical theory that an action's right or wrong depends on the outcome or
consequences of it. Utilitarians believe that the main point of the theory is that "actions are right in
proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce reverse of happiness,"
(The Ethical Life, p. 97). They believed that life was better if the amount of happiness and pleasure
would be increased but that no one's happiness was more important than someone else's. According
to act utilitarianism, "an action is morally required just because it does more to improve overall
well–being that any other acction you could have done in the circumstances," (Fundamentals of
Ethics, p. 123). In other words, an action is morally good if it creates a large amount of happiness
and is wrong if it causes unhappiness. On the other hand, rule utilitarianism is the belief that an
action is morally good depending on the correctness of the rules whose goal is to achieve the
greatest amount of happiness.
On the scenarion given, I believe that the rule utilitarian would think about choosing the second
patient for their study and an act utilitarian will choose the first patient. In the case of the first
patient, who is a genetics researcher working on a multi –year research in malaria, an act utilitarian
would think that choosing that person would be morally right because if the drug is used on her the
value of the consequences would be greater. Since she is a genetics researcher she can contribute to
the expansion of this new medication and that will increase the amount of happiness that it can bring
to other people. In rule utilitarianism, an action is considered right only if it follows the rules but
also creating the greatest happiness. So in the other case, a rule utilitarian would think that giving
the experimental drug to the second patient would be morally right because that's the only way of
his ooportunity to recover. According to Shaffer–Landau, Utilitarianism claims that my happiness is
no more than yours," meaning that the decision wouldn't be taken thinking about the patients
happiness, instead they think about the consequences.
The main core of utilitarianism is that an

Is Happiness the Purpose of Life?
In the play Three Sisters the character Vershinin says, "We're not happy and we can't be happy; we
only want happiness." So, what's the purpose of life? Is it to be happy? Everyone has that desire, to
have happiness. We even base our decision we by how it will affect our happiness. In our life we
experience happiness and unhappiness, but we are oblivious as to what happiness is. What comes to
mind when thinking of happiness? Is it pleasure, the thought of the good life, prosperity, or is it
something else? We won't be able to have a response to that question until we have a notion of
happiness. When reading this quote, I connected it to a few philosophical ideas. The first connection
I made to was hedonism then epicureanism, stoicism, free will and existentialism.
The quote made me question, are we truly happy or do we adapt to our life and think we are happy.
There are two accounts of happiness: hedonism and life satisfaction theory. Life satisfaction theorist
suggest that although we say we are happy, our behavior says different. In philosophy hedonism
says the pursuit of one's own pleasure should be the aim of all happiness. You must put yourself first
and believe that pleasure and happiness are your main goals in life. But, what If killing makes you
happy, is that right? Hedonist would say yes it is right if that's what makes them happy because they
believe that doing so might lead to long–term happiness and pleasure can be achieved that way. But
what about drug addicts

What Is the Difference Between Mill’s Qualitative Hedonism...
What is the difference between Mill's qualitative hedonism and Bentham's quantitative hedonism?
Which is more plausible as a theory of well–being?
Hedonism is the idea that well–being of people comes about through pleasure. Pure hedonism is the
thought that it arises through and only through pleasure and both Bentham and Mill advocate
different approaches for which hedonism may be the basis of human well–being. Both Philosophers
then go on to construct theories of morality on the basis of this idea such that what should be
maximised in a moral dilemma is the cumulative welfare of all individuals as measured by their
particular approach for deciphering which course of action will yield the most well–being for all.
However, the focus of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Smart argues that 'happiness' suggests a level of approval for the person that is 'happy'. In the
example I gave above, though the old colleagues of the scientist can see that the scientist is leading a
pleasurable life, they would be unlikely to describe him as 'happy' due to their disdain and regret for
this life he has chosen. Moreover, 'happiness' tends to draw focus to the idea of the pleasure being
over time for example reading poetry over playing pushpin is more likely to lead to long term
contentment and happiness in one's life. This semantic peculiarity does not add much to the theory
of Mill in contrast to Bentham but rather seems to intuitively highlight the significant differences
between them.
There also seems to be a distinction between Bentham and Mill as to what constitutes well–being in
relation to pleasure. Both philosophers are hedonists and advocate the idea that without pleasure,
well–being is not achieved. However, Bentham's approach is directly experiential: a person's well–
being correlates exactly to the pleasure that that person experiences. Mill clearly disagrees with such
a view as he argues that in some cases – those of higher pleasures – an experience with less pleasure
than another can still bring about more well–being. This phenomenon would be impossible in
Bentham's theory and has led many to conclude that Mill clearly values something for wellbeing
other than simply

Oscar Wilde Hedonism
Throughout the years, there have been many people have tried to come up with their own ideas for
life that have failed. Some may have been closer to the truth than others. Many writers expressed
these theories of theirs in their writings, creating a large amount of literature reflecting their
anomalous opinions. The Dubliner Oscar Wilde portrayed his hedonistic struggles his writings.
Hedonism tainted Wilde's life and was thoroughly reflected in his writings. These hedonistic views
are painted across his countless essays. Weighed with this bondage Wilde postponed a long needed
conversion. Struggling with these difficulties right up to the end. Extravagance occupied Wilde's
stories in the form of hedonism. All of Oscar Wilde's writings reflect his life in a personal way most
largely in the aspect of Wilde's hedonism also his torn conscience was greatly reflected in them too
(Pearce 241; Ellmann 66). Many so–called philosophies largely steal from the beliefs of early Greek
Philosophers. Commencing around 600 BC, in Greece, Hedonism and created by the Greek
philosopher Cārvāka. Hedonism supremely values pleasure as the ultimate good and seeks to avoid
or lessen pain (Heathwood). Essentially, Hedonists seek to avoid pain as well as possible while
adding up large sums of pleasures in their lives. The supposed morals of a hedonist are solely based
on the fact of whether or not an act endows pleasure. Oscar Wilde expressed his support of these
tendencies through saying that he

Film Analysis : Night Of The Living Dead
"Night of the Living Dead" Film Analysis Essay The film was about siblings named Johnny and
Barbara that were going to lay flowers on their father's grave in Pennsylvania. In the cemetery, they
saw a strange man walking towards them. Johnny teased Barbara saying the man was going to get
her. When she went to go apologize to the man for Johnny's actions, the man grabbed her. Johnny
tried to fight him off but he was thrown into a gravestone where he hit his head and died. This led to
Barbara trying to flee. She ended up in a farmhouse where she saw a mangled corpse which sent her
into shock. After arriving at the house a man named Ben came along. He had run out of gas and saw
a gas pump by the shed of the house, but it was locked. A married couple, Harry, and Helen were
taking shelter in the cellar of the house with their daughter Karen who was bitten by the infected.
Harry tried to convince everyone to hide out in the cellar of the house because he claimed it was the
safest place, it caused a lot of arguments. Ben and Harry did not get along in the movie at all. After
the discovery of the family in the cellar, Tom and Judy came along. They were a teenage couple who
stopped at the house because they heard the radio announcement of the brutal murders. To try and
escape back to town they had to refuel Ben's truck but to do that they had to fight off the undead and
get the gas. Tom and Ben went to get gas but there was a malfunction and the truck exploded with
Tom and Judy

Explain the Difference Between Narrow and Preference...
Explain the difference between narrow and preference hedonism. Which is a more plausible theory
of happiness?
1. Introduction (250)
Happiness belongs to Hedonism. If one experience more happiness during life, his life will be better.
The more happiness you experience, the better your life is. There are actually two schools of thought
here, Narrow Hedonism and Preference Hedonism, each with its own definition of happiness.
Narrow Hedonism deems happiness a homogeneous state of pleasure, while Preference Hedonism
expands the definition to include any state of mind favored by the individual, including pain (yes,
pain is happiness, for some). However, the two schools are united in their focus on mental states,
which as you will see is a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Finally, the nonhedonistic accounts are adequate if not superior on grounds of practical and
theoretical utility, quite apart from their superior conformity to the folk notion of happiness.( Daniel
M. Haybron, 2001)
2.1 Narrow hedonism (250)
Narrow Hedonism: The good for a person ("pleasure") and bad for a person
("pain") consists of subjective experiences that are commensurable/comparable in some pretty
straightforward sense; they vary mostly in intensity, duration, etc.
This view is associated with Bentham.
The true hedonist is tracking the narrow path between pain and pleasure, not wanting pleasure so
much that it is a pain of loss not to have it, and not seeking it too much, accepting and enjoying what
does arrive.
Narrow Hedonists assume, fasely, that pleasure and pain are two distinctive kinds of experience.
Compare the pleasures of satisfying an intense thirst or lust, listening to music, solving an
untellectual problem, reading a tradegy, and knowing that one's child is happy. These varioous
experiences do not contain any distinctive common quality. What pains and pleasures have in comon
are their relations to our desires.
Jeremy Bentham (1970) was probably the most notorious proponent of hedonism. He espouses a
type of hedonism that Derek Parfit dubs "narrow hedonism." Bentham holds that pleasure is what is
good for humans; pain is bad. He says, in

Summary Of Happiness In The Garden Of Epicurus
In an ancient Greek proverb that goes as follows "Everything in Moderation" the concept of
balancing the aspects of one's life is championed. Epicurus offers an almost entirely contradictory
life philosophy with serene hedonism as is explored in the article "Happiness in the Garden of
Epicurus." Serene Hedonism offers the perspective that the only truly valuable thing in life is that of
pleasure while this philosophy initially may sound appealing it lacks any development in a
meaningful purpose for an individual other than maximizing pleasures of the senses. The largest
counter to this argument exists in the question on whether or not one would trade there life with that
of a clam who is experiencing constant euphoria, and through this argument

Consequentialism And Hedonism: What Weston Means To As...
Compare and contrast a few of the defining principles that guide
utilitarian/consequentialist/hedonistic ethical reasoning (ethics of happiness) to some of the ideas we
explored last week when looking at what Weston refers to as ethics of persons?
Utilitarian: Bestowing the overall greatest outcome, to the largest amount of persons, regardless if
said act is deemed as good or bad. Overall; well–being.
Consequentialism: The overall outcome of our actions compared and contrasted with societal
constituents, which in term is rule abiding, with the clear intent of only good, similar to
perfectionism.
Hedonistic: Individualistic pursuit of their own pleasure, as what is pleasurable for us determines
how we behave and motivates our behavior. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Interesting enough, consequentialism has the root word "consequence." Consequentialist is
predetermined by its future outcome, regardless good or bad. Unfortunately consequentialists lack
credibility due to outcomes that are not probable or favorable, what is favorable? What is good?
What is the best for everyone? How does one determine this without arbitrarily making an
unfortunate pronouncement?
Utilitarianism bestows sensible based rational, what is right and within an unreasonable doubt. The
notion is concise; what affords the least bit of dissatisfaction and provides the utmost contentment.
Hedonism is deemed as unsubtle method to ethics, as one concentrates solely on their own moral
voyage, which might adversely affect the universe negatively.
The differences and likes are incredibly interesting as they intertwine both negatively and positively
within each

The Utopian Philosophy of Shangri-La in James Hilton's...
The Utopian Philosophy of Shangri–La in James Hilton's Lost Horizon
For some people life may not be satisfactory. Life has many troubles including death, pain, and
suffering. It leaves little hope. There are ways in which people can live to have a good life. This
method of how a person should live is viewed differently thoughout the world. James Hilton
represents this combination of ideas and cultures in the novel, Lost Horizon (1933). This novel tells
the tale of four distinctively different people retreating from a war zone. In their retreat they are
kidnapped and taken by plane deep into the Himalayan mountain wilderness. Little did they know
that here in the confines of the mountains there is a paradise. This paradise is called ... Show more
The mental environment of the people of Shangri–La is the search of knowledge. Platonism, the
theory of Plato, maintains that to live the good life, one must first acquire certain kinds of
knowledge. This theory represents the environment of Shangri–La, searching for knowledge. Hilton
portrays the Shangri–Lite's search of knowledge through their extensive library which contains "the
world's best literature" (95). This great asset of Shangri–La represents the theory of Plato and
showed that Shangri–La is a place abundant is Platonic philosophy. The second philosophical view
aiding in the setting of Shangri–La is the theory of Aristotle. Aristotle believed that the good life is
one of balance. The people of Shangri–La also lived this way claiming "that our prevalent belief is
moderation." (74). The "people are moderately sober, moderately chaste, and moderately honest"
(75). Moderation is abundant throughout the setting of Shangri–La, and the people claim that
"moderation [is], y'know–– the motto of the firm" (180), whereas firm represents Shangri–La. This
"principle makes for a considerable degree of happiness" (74). This relates to the view of Aristotle,
that the good life is a life of happiness. The happiness of Shangri–La is portrayed as "one of the
pleasantest communities," (108) where the inhabitants are "courteous and carefree" (108) and where
one "will doubtless find great happiness" (198). Even in happiness there is moderation. Shangri–La

Comparing the Utility of Bentham and Mill Essay
Comparing the Utility of Bentham and Mill
utility
U*til"i*ty, n. [OE. utilite, F. utilit['e], L. utilitas, fr. utilis useful. See Utile.] ...
3. Happiness; the greatest good, or happiness, of the greatest number, –– the foundation of
utilitarianism. ––J. S. Mill.
Syn: Usefulness; advantageous; benefit; profit; avail; service. (www.dictionary.com)
One of the major players in ethical theories has long been the concept of utilitarianism.
Utilitarianism states that in general the ethical rightness or wrongness of an action is directly related
to the utility of that action. Utility is more specifically defined as a measure of the goodness or
badness of the consequences of an action (see quote by Mill above). For the ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Though the terms act and rule utility came after the time of Bentham and Mill, it can still be noted
that Bentham was clearly an act utilitarian and the Mill was a rule utilitarian. This paper will cover
two subjects of discussion related to utility, Bentham, and Mill. The first is a consideration of the
way in which Bentham goes about reconciling the ethical hedonist he promotes with the
psychological egoistic hedonism he endorses. The second is really three smaller issues: the way
Bentham and Mill would direct us to apply the principle of utility, how this is comparable to the
employment of the hedonistic calculus, and the possibility that the differences in their views may
make us come to different moral decisions.
II. There are four distinguishable sources from which pleasure and pain are in use to flow:
considered separately, they may be termed the physical, the political, the moral, and the religious:...
(Bentham, 382)
Bentham promotes ethical hedonism in some of his writings. Ethical hedonism can be stated as: that
action is right which promotes the greatest happiness for the greatest number. However, Bentham
believes that the world seems in reality to mostly composed of people more closely aligned with
psychological egoistic hedonism, which believes that which is right is that which brings the most
happiness to the self. Clearly,

Perceived Desire Fulfilment Theory Essay
In this essay, I will explain and discuss four main theories of happiness, and defend why the
perceived desire fulfilment theory is my preferred theory of happiness, based on its usefulness for
not only the individual, but also society as a whole, and the fact that it lacks any very glaring faults.
Firstly, I will lay out and extrapolate upon the four popular theories of happiness that this essay will
be discussing – hedonism, life satisfaction theory, objective list theory, and finally, my preferred
choice; perceived desire satisfaction theory. After this, I will explain the faults in the first three
theories that prevent me from preferring them, and how perceived desire satisfaction theory
circumvents these faults. I will then discuss various objections concerning the perceived desire
fulfilment theory, and why I believe that these objections are – compared to the objections about the
other theories presented – not that important. Finally, I will summarise the various ways in which I
believe perceived desire fulfilment theory is more useful and more easily applied than ... Show more
Happiness – and efforts to objectively measure and define it – is a topic that, to this day, remains
hotly debated and theorised. Trying to make objective something that is seen as inherently
subjective is difficult, if not impossible, but that fact has yet to deter philosophers putting forward
theories for what constitutes happiness, and how to achieve it. One popular happiness theory is that
of hedonism. Originally stemming from Bentham's utilitarianism theories, hedonism's argument for
happiness is very simple; a happy life is one where the person maximises feelings of pleasure and
minimises feelings of pain, similar to how a utilitarian would want to

Hedonism vs. Desire Satisfaction Theory
Hedonism and the desire–satisfaction theory
Name
Institution
Introduction
Hedonism and the desire–satisfaction theory of welfare are typically seen as archrivals in the contest
over identifying what makes one's life better. It is surprising, then, that the most plausible form of
hedonism is desire satisfactionism. The hedonism theory focuses on pleasure/happiness while the
desire–satisfaction theory elucidates the relevance of fulfilling our desires. Pleasure, in some points
of view is the subjective satisfaction of desire. I will explain the similarities and the differences
between the desire–satisfaction theory of value and hedonism. I will also discuss the most successful
theory and defend my argument by explaining how the theory ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The desire satisfaction theory accommodates the thought which hedonism does not accommodate.
According to the desire satisfaction theory, our lives go better when the world actually is a certain
way, and doesn't merely appear to be a certain way. An individual experiences pleasure when the
desires are satisfied but it is not a guarantee that the desires cause pleasure.
The desire satisfaction theory is not affected by experience but the hedonism theory is affected by
experience. The outside world affects the desire satisfaction theory but the hedonism theory is
independent of the outside world. This is because the desires can only be satisfied if the world is
cooperative.
The most successful theory is the desire satisfaction theory. The theory is clear on the things that
make us happy. The hedonism theory only focuses on pleasure as the only value that can make our
lives comfortable. The theory does not prove how pleasure only can make one's life better. The
desire satisfaction theory blends in well because it does not consider pleasure as the only source of
good life.
There are several things that can make a person's life better. They include love, beauty, achievement,
friendship, solitude and privacy. This proves that an individual has a long list of values and virtues
that can enhance his or her life.

The Is A Philosophical Theme Taught By Epicurus
Epicureanism is a philosophical theme taught by Epicurus, this theme that stresses the goal of a
joyful and a pleasurable life. In the Hellenistic Age, epicureanism was extremely influential.
Epicurus, the founder of Epicureanism, is best known for his different personality, unlike all the
other ancient philosophers, excluding Socrates (O 'Keefe). Epicurus accumulated a group of
disciples and taught them, after that he became known as the "philosophy of the Garden." The
wisdom theory, epicureanism, is a form of the hedonism theory that describes different types of
pleasure, different types of desires, the virtues, the importance of friendship, and death.
Epicureanism is a philosophical theory that is a form of hedonism. Epicurus once said, "That the
only thing that is intrinsically valuable is one 's own pleasure; anything else that has value is
valuable merely as a means to securing pleasure for oneself" (O 'Keefe). This quote from Epicurus
shows that pleasure is important to the value of happiness in life. But how is Epicureanism a type of
hedonism? The answer is that, Epicureanism is a form of hedonism because they both believe that
pleasure is what leads to happiness. Since they both believe that pleasure leads to happiness, the way
to know the difference between the two is that hedonists believe that the people must find a way to
increase their own pleasures, whatever they might include and Epicureanism is the belief that people
must control their own pleasures based

Hedonism: Harmless Indoctrination Or Something Sinister?
Hedonism: Harmless Indoctrination or Something Sinister?
Merriam–Webster's dictionary defines Hedonism as, "The belief that pleasure or happiness is the
most important goal in life," which may be true depending on one's viewpoint. After all, life will be
dreary without happiness or some form of pleasure or excitement. Another qualifying reason for
Hedonism is its prolonged existence. Hedonism – like other belief systems, has been in existence
since ancient times; it's even older than Christianity. Aristippus of Cyrene (a disciple of Socrates)
was the first great exponent of Hedonism. He was also the founder of the Cyrenaic School of
Hedonism that taught the individual person to perform acts that generates pleasure (Herbermann et
al. p. 187). ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, it is no surprise because Paul the Apostle in the Book of Timothy already foretold it. Paul
states that in the last days, "... men will become lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God" (2
Timothy 3:4). This is why churches continue to mix the sacred with the secular (profane). Churches
put more emphasis in programing instead of the sermon and many are flocking to these event filled
churches. They also go as far as inviting secular artists to perform in their churches – all for the sake
of entertainment or as its called by the church, "reaching the world through unconventional methods
[being relevant]." Weerstra said it best when he stated, " The modern day systems of thought are
truly enemies of the Gospel, having a radically different view of reality, and as such have the
potential to destroy Christian faith and life at its foundations" (Weerstra, P.

Hedonism In Siddhartha
"He looked around him as if seeing the world for the first time. The world was beautiful, strange and
mysterious . . . and in the midst of it all, he, Siddhartha, the awakened one, on the way to himself"
(Hesse 32). Siddhartha, written by Hermann Hesse in 1922, focuses on the awakening of the titular
character, who is on a path to find himself. The novel focuses on his pursuit of attaining
enlightenment through finding Nirvana, the balance between asceticism and hedonism. He
experiences the extremes of both asceticism and hedonism in order to find balance between the two.
Throughout Siddhartha's spiritual journey, he comes across multiple teachers, including the
Samanas, Kamala, Young Siddhartha, Vasudeva, and the river, who teach him ... Show more content
Kamala, the courtesan, teaches him the art of love, such as "one cannot have pleasure without giving
it, and that every gesture, every caress, every touch, every glance, every single part of the body has
its secrets which can give pleasure to one who can understand" (Hesse 54). Throughout the years,
they continue their dalliance while Siddhartha corrupts his Self through the years of gambling and
overindulging. Once Siddhartha realizes that he could no longer hear his inner voice that has always
guided him, he understand that the "game was finished, that he could play it no longer. A shudder
passed through his body, he felt as if something had died" (Hesse 68). Siddhartha leaves Kamala and
all of his riches to continue his path to enlightenment, taking all of Kamala's knowledge with him.
Soon after Siddhartha leaves Samsara, Kamala gives birth to his son, Young Siddhartha, who
teaches Siddhartha inadvertently. Kamala, while traveling to see Gotama before his death, gets bit
by a snake close to Vasudeva's ferry and dies, leaving Young Siddhartha in Siddhartha's custody.
Young Siddhartha, spoiled by his lavish lifestyle, clashes with his father as he feels like Siddhartha
wants him to be exactly like him, saying "you want me to become like you, so pious, so gentle, so
wise, but just to spite you, I would rather become a thief and a murderer and go to hell, than be like
you" (Hesse 100). He feels

Consequentialism And Value Hedonism
A fully developed human (the mother) has a stronger right to out rule the right of the fetus which is
not a full human being yet.
3.
When choosing an entirely different ethical theory then the Warren's, I am choosing
consequentialism. Consequentialism is a type of moral theory according to which the consequences
of actions are all that matter in determining the rightness and wrongness of an action. Unitarianism
is the most prominent form of consequentialism. "Utility", which refers to the net value of the
consequences of actions– how much overall welfare or happiness would likely result from an action,
taking into account both short–term and long–term effects of the action on the welfare of all who
will be affected. The principle of utility states that actions or behaviors are right in so far as they
promote happiness or pleasure, wrong as they tend to produce unhappiness or pain. Value hedonism
is a theory that says only states of pleasure have positive intrinsic value and only states of pain have
intrinsic negative value; anything else of value is of mere extrinsic value. When you combine the
principle of utility and value hedonism, we obtain hedonistic utilitarianism, which is an action is
right and only if it would produce at least as high a net balance of pleasure as would any alternative
action one might do instead. Hedonism claims that maximizing happiness is a matter of pleasure or
pain.
Now, in relation to abortion, Warrens article states that a fetus is not human

Ode To Mill Utilitarianism Analysis
Ode to Mill's Utilitarianism
The Enlightenment has not concluded, their posterity, rationality bequeathed to them, begat a new
Age of Reason.
Ye, sentient being, vehement vis–à–vis the tenets of Utilitarianism, thou shalt cogitate!
Will, indubitably and universally, what comportment is propitious to the happiness of a sagacious
being.
Words making abortive essays at elucidating the quintessence of Utilitarianism.
Hallow thy progenitors, Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, for not a soul can hold a candle to
the maxims such savants have written.
The canon, to which subordinate philosophies capitulate, functioning as the foundation of morals,
the Greatest–Happiness Principle, or, for the sake of brevity, Utility, opines that actions are righteous
in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The rapture, which forms the Utilitarian standard of what is virtuous in conduct, is not the
perpetrator's own bliss, but that of the "injured" party.
As between his own gaiety and that of others, he is obliged by Utilitarianism to be as strictly
impartial as an equitable and altruistic beholder. Its genesis in the convictions of Epicurus.
Does the end justify the means?
Pleasure and disenthrallment from torment, solely, are desirable as ends; all desirable things, a
plenitude for the Utilitarian, are advantageous, either for the ecstasy innate in themselves or as the
means to the elevation of sybaritism and the evasion of suffering.
The greatest elation of the greatest number is the principal constituent of ethics and law, whilst
ascertaining right and wrong.
Ergo, the end will vindicate the means, provided that something corroborates the end.
The only motive for which dominion can be rightfully employed over any member of a civilized
community is to preclude iniquity on to others.
His own, however, either corporeal or moral, is exiguous, in terms of justification.
The "public good" is sufficient warrant for individual freedom, ipso

Active Euthanasia Argumentative Analysis
In his article published in 1975, James Rachels seeks to pose an unsound difference between passive
and active euthanasia, and explains a strong case as to how these two are essentially the same thing
when it comes to committing murder. One can argue both cases: according to the American Medical
Association "The intentional termination of the life of one human being by another– mercy killing–
Is contrary to that for which the medical profession stands and is contrary to the policy of the
American Medical Association" to which Rachels makes several strong arguments against this
principle throughout his article. First, he explains to cases that seem very similar with one exception
each: The first case is about Smith, who is seeking personal ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In more simple words, the theory suggests that hedonism explains how humans are wired to desire
pleasure and that life is about enjoying those pleasures without any regards about the outcome.
Hedonism seems to be only focused on good and personal benefits and enjoyment and that anything
that does not provide that happiness is not of any intrinsic value and pain should be avoided in order
to live happily. Talking about hedonism, several examples come to mind. First, I think about people
that enjoy gambling. These people go to casinos and keep on spending money until there is the
pleasure of "winning" but that can be argued. They are putting money in the slots and just hoping for
a win, but at the same time addicted gamblers enjoy pushing buttons and pulling levers– which is
the pleasure they get out of it– but by the time the gambler starts losing the money, the event starts
to get

Role Of Happiness In Ancient Greece
Finding a Balance In current society, people question the true essence of a happy life: is it money,
power love, sex, or religion? In retrospect, however, this is a contemplation that also wondered the
minds of people from ancient times. Ever since the emergence of early civilizations, human beings
have attempted to identify the elements that can allow them to live happier lives. For the early
thinkers of these civilizations, this quest for a more meaningful and satisfying life could be acquired
only through the application of philosophical thought. According to them, philosophical thinking,
which strictly focuses on the use of reason and logic (Pojman and Vaughn 2), offered the only tools
that would allow them find the true sources of happiness. A prime example of a civilization that used
critical thinking and reason to identify these seemingly complex elements were the ancient Greeks.
Essentially, Greek philosophy attempted to find rational answers to basic questions about man and
the universe (Owens). These questions included the quest for happiness. The intellectual movement
of ancient Greece nurtured many different kinds of philosophies, and in particular, there were two
different kinds of philosophies that attempted to guide people towards the quest of a fulfilled and
happy life: the philosophies of Epicureanism and Hedonism. These philosophies, however, didn't
offer the conventional ideas like love or religion as the key components of a happy life. Instead, they

John Stuart Mill's Conception Of Utilitarianism
John Stuart Mill is a Utilitarianist. The idea of Utilitarianism is to decide on what in life is judged as
right or wrong. Utilities are what can be considered as "useful things".
Mill's conception of Utilitarianism is different from that of Bentham's views. Bentham views
morality in a two sided spectrum– what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong. However, Mill
believes there is a depth further than this. As, most people believe you should avoid pain and bring
in as much "good" or happiness as possible. Mill is also considered a hedonist. Although not in the
modern sense of hedonism, it is the ethical idea that satisfaction comes from both good and bad
pleasures. Mill's ethics heavily revolves around the principle of utility, which ... Show more content
There are high pleasures and low pleasures. For example, high pleasures being obtaining a certain
knowledge. While low pleasures would be having that extra piece of food you shouldn't have or
sexual pleasures. However, Mill believes, pleasure is all about quality, not the quantity. Which is
why It is better to go for higher pleasures than lower pleasures. Mill states that, "It is better to be a
human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied."
(pg. 162, para. 1) To this extent, it is better to not be happy trying to obtain higher pleasures than to
settle for lower goals. Thus, his criterion is set up to judge differences in the quality of pleasure.
However, the question remains, Why do people do not pursue high pleasures if it is better? Because
the lower pleasures are not as easily achievable. We are not all equally exposed to these higher
pleasures. There are distinguishing qualities between psychological hedonism and ethical hedonism.
Psychological hedonism is a detailed doctrine that claims that it gives the motive of someone's
behavior. Ethical Hedonism is what should be done. It also judges our actions and let's us know the
consequences of said actions. However, while these two ideas are different, it isn't necessary to
reject one if you subscribe to the other. Mill's system of Ethics takes these two ideas and connects
them. Mill makes a

John Stuart Mill Utilitarianism
John Stuart Mill wrote his work Utilitarianism in response to the Hedonist ideologies present
throughout the 19th century. In it, he discusses his views on the responsibility of society to seek the
greater good through higher pleasures. I feel that this work could be supported through an
individualistic approach that fulfills both responsibilities to the self and society.
Hedonism refers to the concept of "ultimate pleasure", suggesting that as humans we should do what
makes us the happiest all of the time. Because of this, actions considered correct under Hedonism
are those that bring the most pleasure, and anything less is considered a wrong action.
Mill's struggle with Hedonism sparked his analysis of pleasure itself, which he claims as

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