Philosophy

Philosophy Study Guide

©2018 of 126 based in reality not some abstract philosophical doctrine that was disconnected from real world problems. Bentham believes the principle endorses all actions that tend to produce benefit, advantage, pleasure, good, or happiness which leads it to prevent mischief, pain, evil, or unhappiness. Bentham wants individuals to see that the principle has far reaching social implications not just personal consequences, embracing the happiness of the community as well as the happiness of the individual. It is important for individuals to seek their own happiness in accordance with the principle and it is equally important for governments to abide by the same principle or the community as a whole. Consistent with his ethical framework, Bentham contends that motives and intentions are morally neutral and it is the consequences of these motives and intentions that determine their moral goodness or badness. 9.5 Mill: Higher Pleasures have Greater Worth John Stuart Mill was a British philosopher and a student of Bentham who expanded on Bentham’s concept of utilitarianism. One of Mill’s most serious reservations regarding Bentham’s version of utilitarianism was its failure to make a distinction between various kinds of pleasure and Mill was offended by the leveling of pleasures. Mill was convinced that the higher pleasure activities that were intellectual, literary, philosophical, and aesthetic were greatly preferred over the lower pleasures which are physical and sensual pleasures. Mill believed that the principle of unity should be applied not only to humans but to non-human animals as well. 9.6 Singer: Consider the Interests of Animals The Australian philosopher Peter Singer argues that reason requires that the principle of utility be equally applied to all animals capable of experiencing suffering. His writings from the book Animal Liberation address issues in bioethics, animal rights, and world poverty. Singer defined speciesism as “a prejudice or attitude of bias in favor of the interests of members of one’s own species and against those of members of others species.” Singer believed that most people are speciesists because they support the needless suffering of animals for the most trivial reasons. He believed that people take an active part in and allow their taxes to pay for practices that require the sacrifice of the most important interests of members of their own species in order to promote the most trivial interests of their own species. According to Singer, the principle of equality demands that it is our moral obligation to avoid inflicting needless pain on animals, any more that we would inflict it on humans, and that if we followed this principle we would be forced to make radical changes in our treatment of animals that would involve our diet, the farming methods we use, experimental procedures in many fields of science, or approach to wildlife and to hunting, trapping and the wearing of furs, and areas of entertainment like circuses, rodeos, and zoos and as a result a vast amount of suffering would be avoided. Singer’s concept of speciesism holds that humanity’s willingness to allow the suffering of some species in order to make the lives of people easier and more pleasurable is morally wrong. Achieve Page 98