University of Kansas, Fall 2002
Philosophy 672: History of Ethics
Ben Eggleston

Test—Mill

Please answer the following questions in the time allotted, without the use of books, notes, or other people. The last question is a bonus question, not among the questions given to you in advance.

  1. (15 points): Mill neither thoroughly defends nor thoroughly condemns common-sense morality. What is relationship does Mill perceive there to be between common-sense morality and utilitarianism that makes Mill have some appreciation for common-sense morality, and in what way(s) does Mill regard common-sense morality as deficient or in need of utilitarian correction?
  2. (10 points:) How rigorous a proof does Mill think it’s possible to provide in defense of utilitarianism? (Note that this question is not about the content of Mill’s proof, but is about what sort of proof Mill thinks is even possible in regard to theories of final ends, such as utilitarianism, and what sort of proof(s) Mill regards rival theorists as having given for their theories.)
  3. (15 points:) What does Mill say are the two replies that utilitarians can give in order to answer the “doctrine worthy only of swine” objection?
  4. (15 points:) What is Mill’s doctrine of the higher and lower pleasures (7 points), and what is the standard objection to this doctrine (8 points)?
  5. (10 points:) What moral significance does Mill attach to the motive by which an act is done? (Can someone act rightly from a “bad” motive?)
  6. (15 points:) What are the two most commonly cited problems with Mill’s “proof” of the principle of utility?
  7. (10 points:) What, according to Mill, makes an act one of wrongdoing and not just inexpediency (5 points), and what further condition does Mill say must be satisfied in order for an act of wrongdoing to be one of injustice (5 points)?
  8. (10 points:) How, according to Mill, does a rule of morality get the status of a rule of justice instead of being a non-justice-related rule of morality?
  9. Who are some of the historical figures or previous moral philosophers whose ethical views were, according to Mill, implicitly utilitarian? For naming one you will get 1 point; for naming two you will get a total of 4 points; and for naming three or more you will get a total of 5 points.