The Human Good, And The Quality Of Pleasure - 2282 Words

There exists a relation to the best activity that is the human good, and the quality of pleasure; of which accompanies, and is a result of action. Pleasure per Aristotle exists in an unimpeded activity, and in the bloom of youth. Virtue is needed to find what is pleasurable and what is good. Proper choice is needed to deliberately desire the best good, and as such it will be that what is most virtuous. The human good lies in an activity and that the most continuous activity is life. The human good is an activity of contemplation, and is thus the happiest of all things. Pleasure as a the best choice will be in the state of contemplation; the activity of the human good. Aristotle describes the importance of pleasure in relation to the human life; that is, pleasure is important and needed for a life to be virtuous. Though he describes pleasure in two ways, first he makes it a significant aspect of one’s life. â€Å"For pleasure is a state of soul, and to each man that which he is said to be a lover of is pleasant†¦ the lovers of what is noble find pleasant the things that are by nature pleasant; and virtuous actions are such, so that these are pleasant for such men as well as in their own nature† (Nicomachean Ethics, 1.8 1099a7-15). Having pleasure, a feeling of satisfaction, joy, and even ecstasy, is a state of the soul. It is something to be drawn towards and feeling that one should strive to gain. Those who practice a noble life and are virtuous will naturally come to findShow MoreRelatedKant elucidate the meaning of human good by talking about three qualities: power, pleasure and600 Words   |  3 Pagesthe meaning of human go od by talking about three qualities: power, pleasure and dignity. By reading each of the philosopher’s text individually, the reader is able to recognize which quality is most imperative to each philosopher. Additionally, each philosopher illuminates the importance of that certain good and provides a feasible reason for their choosing by presenting general ideas that enables the reader to gain a meticulous understanding of their subjective meaning of each good and its importanceRead MoreUtilitarianism : Mill s Theory Of Utilitarianism1394 Words   |  6 Pagesbegins by answering the objection which claims that utility is a separate concept from pleasure and happiness. He discerns this as simply a lack of education on the objector’s part, because the concept of utility is defined as pleasure itself and the absence of pain. He assumes that this misconception arose from people hearing the word â€Å"utility† and simply inferring that it’s something cold and opposed to pleasure because of how it sounds. He then proceeds to dub utility as â€Å"the Greatest HappinessRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill s Book, Utilitarianism870 Words   |  4 PagesUtilitarianism is a swine doctrine. They interpret the theory by saying a humans ultimate goal in life, is that of a swine; pleasure in the absence of pain. It is quite an understandable remark, but definitely is an over analyzed critique, in my opinion. Mill however replies to the critics in grave detail, defending his theory. Although many strengths and weaknesses are apparent, I recognize the higher and lower pleasures response, a very strong reply to a weak critique. Critics argue that utilitarianismRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Mills Pig Thesis1727 Words   |  7 PagesBentham’s Utilitarian philosophy, the Greatest Happiness Principle, but differs from Bentham’s position that pleasure is homogenous and that good actions seek only to produce greater quantities of pleasure, i.e. Quantitative Utilitarianism. Mill asserts that qua our uniquely higher faculties, human beings are capable of, and require, activities which produce qualitatively different pleasures than other animals, i.e. Qualitative Utilitarianism. Mill then outlines these acts, classifying activities whichRead MoreUtilitarianism, And Principle Of Utility1319 Words   |  6 PagesAnuradha Singh Ethics Fall 2014 â€Å"Human beings have faculties more elevated than the animal appetites and, when once made conscious of them, do not regard anything as happiness which does not include their gratification.† (Mill, 332) There have been many philosophers who have taking up the topic of utilitarianism, but one that defines the quality of pleasures along with defining that there are actions behind picking those pleasures would be John Stuart Mill. Mill in his years of talking and discussingRead MoreUtilitarianism, And The Moral Imperative1575 Words   |  7 Pagesactions through three recommendations. These recommendations are the criterion of good and evil, a moral imperative, and a measured evaluation. A criterion of good and evil emphasizes on the happiness and stakeholders well being both in short and long term, and the moral imperative is the maximization of the good which gives the greatest happiness to the greatest number. A measured evaluation implies the measure of good and evil and the moral imperative (Jaccard, 2013). John Mill, a leading proponentRead MoreUtilitarianism And The Moral Imperative1575 Words   |  7 Pagesactions through three recommendations. These recommendations are the criterion of good and evil, a moral imperative, and a measured evaluation. A criterion of good and evil emphasizes on the happiness and stakeholders well being both in short and long term, and the moral imperative is the maximization of the good which gives the greatest happiness to the greatest number. A measured evaluation implies the measure of good and evil and the moral imperative (Jaccard, 2013). John Mill, a leading proponentRead MoreComparing Aristotle And John Stuart Mill1130 Words   |  5 PagesChelsea Kearney PHIL 231: Ethics 28 April 2015 Essay 2 Comparisons on Pleasure in Morality The role of pleasure in morality has been examined thoroughly throughout the beginning of philosophy and continues to be a questionable issue. With these in-depth examinations, some similar outlooks as well as differing views have been recorded. Many philosophers have dissected this important topic, however I intend to concentrate of the famous works of Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill. Read MoreEthical Theories Of Utilitarianism By Jeremy Bentham And John Stuart Mill State1564 Words   |  7 Pageseighteenth and nineteenth century English economists and philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill state that an activity is morally right on the off chance that it has a tendency to increase pleasure and morally wrong in the event that it tends to deliver the opposite of pleasure, pain – not only the pleasure of the person performing the activity but additionally that of everybody influenced by it. A theory of such is contrary to egoism, the perspective th at a man ought to go after his own particularRead MoreUtilitarian Rhetoric : George Bentham And John Stuart Mill942 Words   |  4 Pageshedonistic value when identifying good with pleasure. Bentham reasoned that there were no qualitative differences between pleasures, only quantitative ones. His moral philosophy was supported by the assumption: That the consequences of human actions that count in evaluating their merit and that the kind of consequence that matters for human happiness is just the achievement of pleasure and avoidance of pain. (Driver) Bentham implied that hedonistic values in human actions could be easily tallied