Comparing Aristotle And John Stuart Mill - 1130 Words

Chelsea Kearney PHIL 231: Ethics 28 April 2015 Essay 2 Comparisons on Pleasure in Morality The role of pleasure in morality has been examined thoroughly throughout the beginning of philosophy and continues to be a questionable issue. With these in-depth examinations, some similar outlooks as well as differing views have been recorded. Many philosophers have dissected this important topic, however I intend to concentrate of the famous works of Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill. After meticulously analyzing each of the above philosophers’ texts, I personally prefer the position of utilitarian and Benthamite, John Stuart Mill. After comparing and contrasting the positions and reasonings of these philosophers, I will demonstrate my own reasons why I have chosen John Stuart Mill as the most established in his theory of the role of pleasure in morality. Aristotle was a particularly influential Grecian philosopher and student of Plato who lived from 384BC- 322BC (ADD CITATION). Within Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle outlines the thoughts of the general population along with his regards and rationales in explaining many philosophical premises. But to concentrate on how Aristotle feels about the role of pleasure in morality, Aristotle introduces the idea that â€Å"most people think happiness involves pleasure.† He goes on to interpret the roles of different pleasures and their virtues and vices, giving examples such as as bodily pleasures and soul pleasures.Show MoreRelatedReconciling Moral Theories889 Words   |  4 Pagesthe compatibility of their particulars can be a daunting task. Determining the compatibility of John Stuart Mill’s modern moral theory of utilitarianism with Aristotle’s pre-modern moral philosophy will involve an in-depth exploration for each moral philosophy, comparing and contrasting the smallest details of each. To start, an understanding of Aristotelian moral philosophy is fundamental. Aristotle basesd his theory on the concepts of â€Å"virtue,† coming from the Greek word â€Å"arà ªte† meaning â€Å"excellence†Read MoreSimilarity Between Religion And Utilitarianism813 Words   |  4 Pagesassert that religion is utilitarian. The views of Aristotle and those of Mills on ethics are different. While Aristotle’s focuses on individual happiness, Mill focuses on the happiness of the community as a whole. Mill and Aristotle had very different views on individual happiness. Mill believed that pleasure and the absence of pain are what make an individual happy. On the other hand, Aristotle believed that happiness arises from virtue. Aristotle argues that virtue, which is a trained faculty ofRead MoreThomas Aquinas And John Stuart Mill1582 Words   |  7 PagesPhilosophers that made a huge impact on us all are Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. All four philosophers are very well known for their intelligence and work in the ethics community. Although all of the philosophers have the same goal of defining ethics and how we should behave in terms of the highest good for human beings they all do it in different ways in which they feel is the proper way. Throughout this paper I wil l be comparing each of the four main Philosophers that weRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill And Utilitarianism983 Words   |  4 Pagessingle-criterion solutions attractive toward rapid and effective problem solving. Comparing deontological and consequentialist ethics by single criterion dynamic: Deontological rule based ethics, with Immanuel Kant and Categorical Imperative drive decisions through rule or principle to be applied; which means, consequences do not matter morally. In the other hand, Consequential ends based ethics, with John Stuart Mill and Utilitarianism, drive decisions through the amount of happiness to be producedRead MoreHelping The Community Is A Big Part In How Our World Grows1913 Words   |  8 Pageswhile as a society we should be focused community in order to fulfill our basic human needs. A substantial proponent of charity would be Aristotle. Aristotle believed in two types of virtues, moral and intellectual. Virtues, as he explained, are not naturally given and moral virtue is accumulated through acts and habits. In the eyes of the public, Aristotle finds it important that humans focus on those around us and in the community in order to live a happy life. Being involved in a society addsRead MoreThe Ethics Of Virtue Ethics925 Words   |  4 PagesVirtue ethics is a normative theory whose foundations were laid by Aristotle. This theory approaches normative ethics in substantially different ways than consequentialist and deontological theories. In this essay, I will contrast and compare virtue ethics to utilitarianism, ethical egoism, and Kantianism to demonstrate these differences. There is one fundamental aspect of virtue ethics that sets it apart from the other theories I will discuss. For the sake of brevity and to avoid redundancy, I willRead MoreJohn Stuart Mil l s The Principle Of Utility As The Standard For Determining The Rightness Of Actions779 Words   |  4 PagesUtilitarian theory was given by John Stuart Mill and it accepts the principle of utility as the standard for determining the rightness of actions. According to this theory, our actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. An act is right if it produces the best aggregate consequences for all those affected by that given act. Thus, consequences of an action are the focus of this theory and as it takes into considerationRead MoreImmanuel Kant And John Stuart Mill Essay2002 Words   |  9 Pageswidely known ethical philosophers are Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. While they may have philosophized around the same time period, the philosophers have very different ideas about ethics and happiness. Immanuel Kant, author of Duty and Reason, believed in the morality of the good will and duty. He espou sed that happiness is an irrelevancy insofar as fulfilling duty is the most important aspect of leading a moral life. Conversely, John Stuart Mill, who wrote, The Greatest Happiness Principle, is wellRead More John Stuart Mill Essay examples1834 Words   |  8 Pages Who is John Stuart Mill? John Stuart Mill was born on May 20, 1806, in London, England. He was mostly known for his radical views. For example, he preached sexual equality, divorce, universal suffrage, free speech, and proportional representation. He had many works of writings such as Principles of Political Economy, On Liberty, The Subjections of Women, and the Three Essays of Religion: Nature, the Utility of Religion, and Theism. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;John Mill was the eldest son of JamesRead MoreAnalysis Of Antonin Scalia s The Court Of The Supreme Court975 Words   |  4 Pagesdetermine when, and in what direction, evolution has occurred? Is it the will of the majority, discerned from newspapers, radio talk shows, public opinion polls, and chats at the county club? Is it the philosophy of Hume, or of John Rawls, or of John Stuart Mill, or of Aristotle? As soon as the discussion goes beyond the issue of whether the Constitution is static; the evolutionists divide into, as many camps are there are individual views of the good, the true and the beautiful† (pg. 216). He concludes