Utilitarianism/9
Utilitarianism/9
formula should be correctly understood. I believe that the very imper- fect notion ordinarily formed of its meaning, is the chief obstacle which impedes its reception; and that could it be cleared, even from only the grosser misconceptions, the question would be greatly simplified, and a large proportion of its difficulties removed. Before, therefore, I attempt to enter into the philosophical grounds which can be given for assenting to the utilitarian standard, I shall offer some illustrations of the doctrine itself; with the view of showing more clearly what it is, distinguishing it from what it is not, and disposing of such of the practical objections to it as either originate in, or are closely connected with, mistaken interpre- tations of its meaning. Having thus prepared the ground, I shall after- wards endeavour to throw such light as I can upon the question, consid- ered as one of philosophical theory.
Chapter 2 What Utilitarianism Is. A passing remark is all that needs be given to the ignorant blunder of supposing that those who stand up for utility as the test of right and wrong, use the term in that restricted and merely colloquial sense in which utility is opposed to pleasure. An apology is due to the philo- sophical opponents of utilitarianism, for even the momentary appear- ance of confounding them with any one capable of so absurd a miscon- ception; which is the more extraordinary, inasmuch as the contrary ac- cusation, of referring everything to pleasure, and that too in its grossest form, is another of the common charges against utilitarianism: and, as has been pointedly remarked by an able writer, the same sort of persons, and often the very same persons, denounce the theory “as impracticably dry when the word utility precedes the word pleasure, and as too practi- cably voluptuous when the word pleasure precedes the word utility.” Those who know anything about the matter are aware that every writer, from Epicurus to Bentham, who maintained the theory of utility, meant by it, not something to be contradistinguished from pleasure, but plea- sure itself, together with exemption from pain; and instead of opposing the useful to the agreeable or the ornamental, have always declared that the useful means these, among other things. Yet the common herd, in- cluding the herd of writers, not only in newspapers and periodicals, but in books of weight and pretension, are perpetually falling into this shal- low mistake. Having caught up the word utilitarian, while knowing noth- ing whatever about it but its sound, they habitually express by it the
10/John Stuart Mill
