"Tis better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied"
John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)
John
Stuart Mill was arguably the most important British philosopher of the
19th century. With an estimated IQ of 192, he was way ahead of his time
in his advocacy of women's rights and his principle that we should be
free to do what we like as long as it harms no-one else is still often
quoted in many a modern debate. For practical philosophy, he has 3 important ideas. 1) Consider the Consequences Consequentialism
is the idea that you base your decision-making on the consequences of
your actions. Should you say the kind thing or the unkind thing? Should
you give to charity or not? Should you continue to smoke or give up? If
John Stuart Mill were here to advice you , he would say "consider the
consequences". This is a very simple, forward-looking and helpful piece
of advice- try it and see! 2) Value happiness - both your own happiness and other people's happiness Everyone
wants happiness, and, Mill tells us, they are right to do so. Mill
considered happiness to be the good, but his philosophy was more subtle
than the old Epicurean ideal of just valuing pleasure. First, Mill and
his fellow utilitarians thought that it is everyone's happiness that
should be improved - not just your own. Try to make other people and
yourself as happy as possible. Secondly, Mill did not think all
pleasures equal - hence his famous "better Socrates dissatisfied than a
fool satisfied" adage, This brings us to his third idea. 3) Ask "What would a well-informed person say and do in this situation?" Mill
disagreed with his godfather, Jeremy Bentham, that "pushpin was as good
as poetry". He thought that any competent judge - someone who had
experienced both - would prefer certain "higher" pleasures to "lower"
ones. You don't have to agree with Mill about poetry to find value in
his general idea - that we can benefit by asking "what would a
well-informed person say about this situation?". Wondering
whether to become a teacher or a lawyer? Mill's idea suggests you
should speak to someone who has experienced both - or better still, try
out both yourself, before deciding. External Links