John Stuart Mill's Utilitarianism In Brave New World

Throughout Philosophy, morality is a central theme. Although each scholar views the definition of morality differently, the goal of people to be better and think for themselves is the main focus. Many philosophers have defined and categorized utilitarianism in different ways. In normative ethics, Jeremy Bentham believes an action is right if it promotes happiness and wrong if it produces the reverse of happiness but not just the happiness of a person who performed the action but also everyone that was affected by it (Duignan). Utilitarianism is the view that the morally right action is the action that has the most good (Driver). The foundation of morality in utilitarianism comes from utility or intrinsic value (Skorupski 256). In utilitarianism actions are evaluated by their utility instead of intrinsic properties of the actions (Skorupski 256). Utilitarianism says certain acts are right or wrong in themselves making us perform them or do not do them at all. On the contrary, concepts of the good go hand and hand with that of rights and obligation causing obligation to be determined by intrinsic value (Skorupski 256). John Stuart Mill theory of utilitarianism reveals what is utilitarianism, the morality, proof of validity, and the connection between justice and utility in the study of thinking.

In Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel Brave New World, John (referred to as “the savage”) is the voice of freedom in a society ruled by an inexorable pursuit of superficial happiness. In the dystopian setting, the world controllers maintain public satisfaction “but at a very high price—the sacrifice of freedom, individuality, truth, beauty, a sense of purpose, and the concept of God” (Neilson). John’s unorthodox beliefs about monogamy, God, drugs, and freedom clash with that of the overwhelming majority of people in the totalitarian London utopia. This barrier is rooted in John’s natural moral development as opposed to the artificial conditioning of the rest of society and it leads to John’s complete isolation from the people of London.

Utilitarianism defined, is the contention that a man should judge everything based on the ability to promote the greatest individual happiness. In other words Utilitarianism states that good is what brings the most happiness to the most people. John Stuart Mill based his utilitarian principle on the decisions that we make. He says the decisions should always benefit the most people as much as possible no matter what the consequences might be. Mill says that we should weigh the outcomes and make our decisions based on the outcome that benefits the majority of the people. This leads to him stating that pleasure is the only desirable consequence of our decision or actions. Mill believes that human

In Brave New World, Huxley utilizes characterization, motifs, and symbols to show that the pursuit of “success” as a whole comes with consequences because there is no value placed upon being an individual. The World State does what it sees as best for society to function in a systematic manner and achieve collective “success”; however, their effort to achieve this utopia fails.

When Bernard brought John back to the new world John was soon aware that he had values that were similar to those of the people of the New World and values that were different to the people of the New World. One similar Value John shared with the people of the New World was they both value authority. “‘I ought have been there… But they wouldn’t let me.” (Huxley 117).

This kind of determination and resolve prevails throughout the novel, such as when John wasn't allowed to take part in a right of passage, so he created his own version of it (pg. 137). Without John's self-reliance, the novel would not be as interesting because his individualism that comes from the self-reliance wouldn't conflict with the World State's

Free-thinkers are exiled to islands and mistakes are made in bottling labs, as Bernard’s personality was much more individualized than other Alphas. Even though John was not a product of this new way of life, he experiences the disastrous effects a primarily consumption based society has, remembering before his suicide, “—everything. ‘Oh my God, my God!’” (Huxley 258). His perceived insanity shows how unaccustomed the new world is to free thought—they most likely questioned why he did not just take soma and forget about his

Thus, by the end of this novel, the Shakespearean allusions influence John to seek a life away from this society, in order to discover his individuality. John feels as if he is trapped by the Brave New World civilization by stating “‘It poisoned me; I was defiled. And then,” he added, in a lower tone, “I ate my own wickedness’” (Huxley 165). John wants to live a pure life but the morals of this society will not let him do that.

In the novel the Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, John the savage is the protagonist who lost hope for all society. The exile made him realize he has no place in neither world or standards they live by. John alienated himself by his desires in isolation and going by his own rules. The enriching influence by John created and introduced the idea of individuality. Shakespeare's work contains every tragedy there is to a life experience, in which John the savage lived by but it's denied of those rights.

To be free, one must be enslaved. This simple oxymoron paves the path for the basis of the societal struggles in Alduous Huxley’s Brave New World. The year is A.F. 632 in London, England and a true utopia has been established: “community, identity, stability” (Huxley 1). In fact, that is the World State’s motto. Casual sex and mandatory orgy porgy force a sense of community onto its citizens.

Jekyll and Hyde is a 19th-century novella, and during this period, the gothic genre was sparked by the growing debate of the validity of religion. Many texts of this era are built around metaphors for escaping the constricting clutches of religion and testing the boundaries of our own morals. Later, around the time Jekyll and Hyde was written, attention moved towards the horrors of the mind. Freud claimed that the symbol of having ‘two selves’ is a symbol of repression. Hyde consists of the attributes that Jekyll is forced to repress due to societal constraints and pressures on upper class, educated gentlemen – ‘i concealed my pleasures”.

How do we apply aged philosophies to present day problems? Like his forefather John Stuart Mill, modern thinker Peter Singer approaches moral philosophy from a utilitarian perspective. In this paper, I will argue that Singer’s and Mill’s utilitarian philosophies share numerous similarities but also differ. Singer and Mill agree that selflessness can end human suffering. In addition, their views concerning the significance of consequences align; however, they conflict on the relevance of motivation. I contend that Singer improves upon Mill’s utilitarianism by accurately recognizing the discrepancy between absolute affluence and absolute poverty and also by considering the intricate concept of motive.

In “Utilitarianism,” John Stuart Mill responds to several objections to the utilitarian view, but what exactly is the utilitarianism view. Utilitarianism is the view that an action is good to the extent that it produces the greatest possible overall happiness or utility. According to Mill, utility is the pleasure itself and the absence of pain. What this means is that pleasure and the absence of pain are the only things desirable as end in themselves. It's the only things that is inherently good. A good example of utilitarianism would have to be about the Trolley Problem or to me gay rights. With gay rights, legalizing gay marriage would cause the greatest amount of happiness. Therefore, any circumstance, event, or experiences is desirable only if it for pleasure.

In his essay, Utilitarianism Mill elaborates on Utilitarianism as a moral theory and responds to misconceptions about it. Utilitarianism, in Mill’s words, is the view that »actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.«1 In that way, Utilitarianism offers an answer to the fundamental question Ethics is concerned about: ‘How should one live?’ or ‘What is the good or right way to live?’.

This work has probably received more analysis than any other work on utilitarianism available. However, I seek to do here what many others have been unable to accomplish so far. I hope to, in five paragraphs, cover each of the chapters of Utilitarianism in enough depth to allow any reader to decide whether or not they subscribe to Mill's doctrine, and if so, which part or parts they subscribe to. I do this with the realization that much of Mill's deliberation in the text will be completely gone. I suggest that anyone who seeks to fully understand Mill's work should read it at length.