Re-Thinking Cultural Hedonism: On the Principle of Utility According to John Stuart Mill

• Authors: Stepukonis Aivaras
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Hedonism, driven by mass culture and widespread consumerism, is a salient factor in the modus vivendi of contemporary Western civilization. This general psychological and behavioral backdrop is exploited in the article as an opportunity to both reinvigorate and re-appraise the theoretical underpinnings of modern hedonism as developed by John Stuart Mill in his Utilitarianism. The article proceeds in two steps: Firstly, a detailed exposition of Mill’s arguments for the principle of utility is undertaken, with an accompanying elucidation of the core notions of utility, expediency, happiness, and pleasure. Secondly, five points of criticism (logical, phenomenological, and analytical in method) are raised to challenge what the author thinks are the weakest links in Mill’s syllogistic chain.

Keywords

EN

Western culture; ethics; moral philosophy; utilitarianism; hedonism; John Stuart Mill

• Publisher: Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk; Fundacja Filozofia Na Rzecz Dialogu
• Journal: Dialogue and Universalism
• Year: 2023
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 181-194

Contributors

author

Stepukonis Aivaras

• Lithuanian Institute for Cultural Studies, Saltoniškių g. 58, lt-08105 Vilnius, Lithuania.