Will, Utilitarianism, Economics

It is generally recognized that Mill's Utilitarianism diverges from Bentham's by asserting that the 'good' consists in collective, and not personal, happiness. However, if, as is commonly accepted, Bentham conceives the doctrine on the model of Capitalist economic behavior, then Mill is revealed as also grounding it. On the economic interpretation, Bentham conceives 'happiness' as analogous to 'profit'. In contrast, on that interpretation, Mill is offering a theory of Evaluation that the notion 'profit' presupposes, namely, that the value of a product is determined by what one would pay for it, i. e. its 'exchange' value. Hence, the Marxist critique of Utilitarianism is analogous to the Ethical one that has been presented here--the Utilitarian suppression of 'intrinsic' value. Now, according to Marxism, the intrinsic value of a product is a function of the processes that transform its raw materials. Furthermore, according to the model of Experience being proposed here, Will is the basis of any variation of the given, and, hence, of the transformation of raw materials. Thus, contrary to pervasive stereotypes, a notion usually classified as 'individualistic', Will, is aligned with one usually classified as 'collectivistic', in opposition to an economic model usually associated with 'individualism'.