Utilitarianism

'Consequentialism' is the view that the Moral worth of an act lies in its consequences. The most important version of that doctrine is John Stuart Mill's 'Utilitarianism', which holds that the best act possible is the one that produces the greatest Happiness for the greatest number, with 'Happiness' calculated in terms of Pleasure and Pain. As simple as this formulation is, especially in comparison with Kant's Principle, what Mill had in mind for it is unclear. At times he seems to intend it as a description, as if it were presenting a Psychological or Anthropological account of a mode of behavior called 'Moral Evaluation'. Hence, his criticism of Kantian Morality is that it mischaracterizes relevant phenomena. On the other hand, his revision of Bentham's Utilitarianism entails some unequivocal normative elements, e. g. that the latter fails to consider the effect of one's act on others, and that its calculus fails to distinguish between 'higher' and 'lower' pleasures. But, in either case, description or prescription, Mill's Principle has its shortcomings. As a description, it might be valid for given phenomena, but it lacks the capacity to accommodate novel Moral activity, or to respond to the challenge that even if it is the criterion of Moral worth, Happiness ought not to be. As a prescription, the Principle recommends the calculation of consequences for the choosing and guiding Conduct. But such calculation, according to Mill's own theory of Induction, can only be a projection of what has previously transpired, and, hence, can only recommend a repetition of previous examples of pleasure- and Happiness-causing. Hence, it lacks the capacity to recommend innovation. Thus, according to the Evolvemental calculus, the Utilitarian Principle has minimal Phronetic Value, not to mention that Evolvemental Phronetics stands as a counter-example to descriptive Utilitarianism.