QUALITATIVE PLEASURES 2
John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham are regarded as the most renowned utilitarians in
the human history. These two scholars had different views about the way divergent values should
be measured. Mill in his scholarly work was accused of being in inconsistent but maintained that
while measuring the value of pleasure the element of quality should not be left out. While
Bentham on the hand was consistent but less subtle in his scholarly work, however, he argued
that while measuring the value of pleasure quantity is the only element that should be factored in.
John Stuart S Mill states that some pleasures are plainly higher and better placed than others
(McKinnon & Fiala, 2014). Jeremy Bentham pointed out that quality of pleasures was constant
everywhere and explained that the greatest pleasure that one can have is the pleasure of greatest
number (McKinnon & Fiala, 2014).
Mill concern on the differences among qualitative pleasures is illustrated in his doctrine
of utilitarianism. He argues that actions by someone are deemed right equal to the proportion that
tends to uphold happiness, and wrong if they seem to uphold the contrary of happiness. John
Stuart Mill’s hedonism is centered on the recognition of happiness together with pleasure. Mill
states that happiness is supposed to be the deliberate pleasure without any form of pain and by
unhappiness, pain and the privation of pleasure (McKinnon & Fiala, 2014). The human
existence ultimate goal is the enjoyment of pleasure without experiencing any pain, this concept
is, however, more than often reprehensible. In efforts to counter this notion Mill attempts to
explain that not all pleasures seem to be the same (McKinnon & Fiala, 2014).
Some ought to be referred to others because they are intrinsically superior in their class.
He points out that the intellectual pleasures that one intends to pursue are more permanent and
come with less cost as compared to the pleasures of flesh such as drug use. Some people tend to
make a mistake while in pursuit of the lower end pleasures. For instance, John Belushi indulged
