Week 5: Utilitarianism (Jan. 28-Feb. 1)

Assignment due!

First essay is due Monday, Jan. 28 by 5pm.

Be sure to post this in both places required:

• the main essay assignment page
• the page where you submit for peer review (take your name and student number off!)

 

Monday, Jan. 28 & Wednesday Jan. 30

We'll discuss the following on both of these days.

 

Required

Excerpts from chapter 2 of Mill's Utilitarianism. There are two options for reading this text. Both have the same material; the first one is longer because of some extra headings and explanatory additions to the text.

1. You can read excerpts from chapter 2 that have been translated into more readable English than Mill's 19th century English, by Jonathan Bennett, from the Early Modern Texts website. 

• You can find this document on the Library Online Course Reserves page for this course. Read pp. 1-7 of this document (stop at chapter 5)

 

2. Alternatively, if the marks in the above files are annoying to you, you can read Mill's text in his original English (a bit archaic). Read pp. 1-6 of either of these (stop at chapter 5):

Mill, Utilitarianism (Original; MS Word) Download Mill, Utilitarianism (Original; MS Word)

Mill, Utilitarianism (Original; PDF) Download Mill, Utilitarianism (Original; PDF)

 

What to focus on in Chapter 2

• The main principle of morality, that which tells us what is morally right or wrong, is the "greatest happiness principle." What does it say?
• How might you explain Mill's view of higher and lower pleasures? (also sometimes called intellectual vs sensual pleasures)
• Do we have to calculate the possible consequences of actions on people's happiness every time we consider acting? What does Mill say in response?

 

Optional

• The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy has an entry on Mill’s view of utilitarianism;  Links to an external site. Links to an external site.and here’s an even more in-depth discussion of Mill’s Utilitarianism from the SEP. Links to an external site.

• Here’s a podcast about Mill’s Utilitarianism Links to an external site., by Nigel Warburton
• A video from Wireless Philosophy Links to an external site., on Khan Academy, introducing utilitarianism.

 

Discussion meetings

There will be student-led discussions in discussion meetings this week.

 

Checklist of what to do before next week

• Read materials for next week (see week 6)
• If you led a small group discussion this week, be sure to post your discussion summary by Monday, Feb. 4.
• If you wish, post on the discussion board for ethical relativism, utilitarianism, Kantianism

 

Image credit: Engraving of John Stuart Mill Links to an external site., from Popular Science Monthly, public domain on Wikimedia Commons.