Will, Utilitarianism, Prejudice

Utilitarianism entails uncritical respect for the face-value authority of expressions of like or dislike. It thus is incapable of recognizing prejudice, i. e. it cannot distinguish judgment from pre-judgment. More generally, it cannot distinguish conditioned responses from spontaneous ones. Hence, 'the greatest happiness of the greatest number' can amount to a reinforcement of prejudices, possibly harmful ones. Since prejudice, and pre-conditioned behavior in general, is a species of Heteronomy, the corrective requires appreciation of the Moral significance of Autonomy, entailing the cultivation of Will, the principle of spontaneity in conduct. However, such appreciation requires the jettisoning any commitment to Teleology, which Mill seems unwilling to do.