John Stuart Mill says that humans by nature desire happiness and nothing but happiness; therefore happiness is the standard by which we should judge human conduct, and therefore the principle of utility is at the heart of morality. But this argument is controversial, because
A) it reasons from what is to what should be.
B) it equivocates on the word "happiness."
C) it is internally inconsistent.
D) Mill failed to defend his theory.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mill's argument is controversial because it reasons from what is (humans naturally desire happiness) to what should be (happiness should be the standard for judging human conduct), which is a form of the is-ought problem. This problem questions the validity of deriving prescriptive ethical statements (what ought to be) from descriptive statements (what is).

John Stuart Mill Says That Humans by Nature Desire Happiness