John Stuart Mill was a hedonist and accepted that happiness was of great importance and stressed that happiness is more important than pleasure. Mill believed that the quality of pleasure decides on whether an act is good; for example, human pleasures such as reading are what is good however animal pleasures such as eating is not as good. This meant that he felt that the quantity of pleasure did not matter, it was only the quality. Mill continues to develop his argument by saying that everyone deserves happiness so therefore, everyone aims towards their own happiness so everyone should aim for the happiness of everyone. He believed in universalizability which means what is right or wrong for one person in a situation is right or wrong for everyone.
In both stories the people of the towns are alright with sacrificing one so that everyone else can be happy. We as moral human beings know that this is wrong, but that is exactly a Utilitarian, whatever brings the most overall happiness even if that means sacrificing an innocent. Both stories represent the Utilitarian theme in their own way and are very powerful moral stories. Works Cited Brandt, Bruce E. “Two additional antecedents for Ursula LeGuin’s ‘The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas’ (essays)” ANQ 16.3 (2003) S/T Literature Resource Center. Web.
The Buddha gave the example of a fire when he taught of the Second Noble Truth, because craving spreads, just as fire does, from one thing to another without ever being satisfied. The Buddha taught that there were three forms of craving: craving for sensual pleasures, a craving of the senses; the desire for existence, it moves us from one life to another and brings us back to seek new things; an inverted desire, driving people away from things we do not like. The third craving can be seen in those who inflicted self-harm or have very low self-esteem. Even though it has been taught that cravings cause suffering, there is also the teaching that suffering comes from greed, hatred, and delusion. It is not hard to imagine what any of these three things can do to a person if they manifest in their life.
Arguments that justify illicit drug use falsely assume that the hedonistic intent of drug users are ‘good’. Misused prescription drugs are opioids, offering pain relief. Being recreational, illicit drug use is “an activity that is done for enjoyment” (Macmillan dictionary ref), so they are generally used with the intent of promoting illusory happiness. Utilitarianism approves of this by ascertaining a meaning of life aimed at fulfilling primitive desires such as the ‘quick fix’ of illicit drug use. These impulses are perceived as unjustified temptations in natural law because “true happiness is not found in … wellbeing … but in God alone, the source of every good and of all love” (CCC 1723).
This does not sit well with the Savage, as he came from outside the society and was able to experience both pleasure and pain and appreciate one for the other. Confronting the Controller about the prohibition of high art from the society and the encouragement of sensual experiences and drug use, the Savage states that the whole situation seems “quite horrible.” The Controller counters this with “Of course it does. Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery…Happiness is never grand.” This concept of actual happiness alludes to Mill’s idea of the differentiation of pleasure and happiness. While the society
The second level of goodness consists of those things that we find pleasure in themselves. Such as eating sweets or having casual sex. Finally, the third level is composed of things that bring us both pleasure and good results such as having good health or having proper self-control. Glaucon believes that humans naturally perceive justice as an evil we are forced to deal with in order to avoid any other conflicts that could fall upon us afterwards, and that if given the power, even the most just man would act unjustly if he faced no consequences. He states that there is an implied social pact that we all make with each other to avoid befalling each other with our own injustices.
According to the “Greatest Happiness Principle,” an action can only be right if it promotes happiness and an action is wrong if it provides the opposite of happiness. Mill’s utilitarian theory believes “all desirable things…are desirable for the pleasure inherent in themselves, or as means to the promotion of pleasure and the prevention of pain.” Applying this theory to life would be an easy task, and one that many would be more than happy to live by. Enjoying a life in which there is nothing better or more attainable than pleasure, to achieve anything that would keep one away from pain and enjoy a simple life of pleasure just like as a common animal would be ideal. So using this piece of a theory, it appears that the highest good would produce the highest pleasure. Now comes the decision of what is the highest pleasure.
So even though hope can bring encouragement, it can also cause distress. As Samuel Johnson once said, “Hope itself is a species of happiness, and, perhaps, the chief happiness which this world affords; but, like all other pleasures immoderately enjoyed, the excesses of hope must be expiated by pain” (“Hope Quotes”
When you had a choice between a slow, prolonging and a quick, instantaneous death, which option would you choose? When only presented with these two options, one would probably pick the latter choice - after all humans are not biologically designed to withstand prolonged pain and suffering. Hence it is why assisted death has been one of the most important yet controversial topics hotly debated over the centuries. The term should not be confused with Euthanasia (also known as “mercy killing”), which is a practice of ending a life painlessly, assisted by a third party. For example, if a physician (a third person) assists the death of a patient by giving a fatal dose of medication or injection etc, then euthanasia has taken place.
It also deals with internal conflicts, such as problems that one deals with inside. The last thing Psychoanalysis deals with is sex and aggression The third perspective is Humanistic Psychology. The two main people of this perspective are Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. Humanists mainly believes that past experiences do affect us, but they cannot be changed. They also believe that people can freely choose to live more creative and satisfying lives.