Ep 23: John Stuart Mill's Loveless Atheism

Ideas have consequences, and so today Joe Miller and Leroy Hill offer a biblically sound and philosophically robust discussion of John Stuart Mill’s 1863 essay titled Utilitarianism. They’ll show how Mill’s loveless atheism stands behind many of today’s moral conflicts, shaped the Western worldview, and maybe even deformed the worldview of many Christians. Through their witty banter, the guys till the soil of culture to sow the seed of the Gospel. Tune in live to see how these ideas have shaped the Western worldview, and maybe even deformed the worldview of many Christians.

REFERENCES

1. 10 Books that Screwed Up the World: And 5 Others That Didn't Help by Benjamin Wiker

2. The History of Utilitarianism from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

3. Great Books of the Western World Volume 40 ~ American State Paper ~ J.S. Mill

John Stuart Mill, was born in 1806 and led what I’d consider to be a tragic childhood of homeschooling gone wrong. Mill’s father, James, groomed John to become an intellectual powerhouse with little concern for his emotional or spiritual needs. — Joseph R. Miller

EPISODES IN THIS SERIES

STUDY GUIDE

I. Key Concepts and Themes

• Utilitarianism: The ethical doctrine that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.

• Greatest Happiness Principle: The principle that one should act so as to produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

• Hedonistic Calculus: (Associated with Jeremy Bentham) A method of calculating the degree of pleasure or pain an action is likely to cause, considering factors like intensity, duration, certainty, and extent.

• Higher vs. Lower Pleasures: Mill's distinction between intellectual and aesthetic pleasures (higher) and physical sensations (lower), arguing that the former are more valuable.

• Moral Sentiment/Internal Guardrails: Mill's emphasis on the role of conscience, guilt, and moral feelings in guiding ethical choices.

• Harm Principle: The principle that the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.

• Atheistic Framework: The absence of belief in God that influences the foundational principles of Mill's Utilitarianism.

• Elitism: The belief that a select group of individuals, often those with intellectual superiority or expertise, should have a prominent role in shaping society and governance.

• Do No Harm Principle: The concept of ensuring no action causes unnecessary harm or suffering to individuals.

• Redemptive Pain: The Christian concept that embraces the idea that suffering can have a positive and transformative purpose.

DISCUSSION POINTS

Below is a list of questions covering just a few of the big ideas discussed in this episode. Subscribers, feel free to weigh in with your own ideas and join me in the conversation.

1. Briefly explain the core principle of Utilitarianism.

2. How did Spock's sacrifice in "Star Trek" exemplify Utilitarian ethics?

3. What is the hedonistic calculus, and who is associated with it?

4. What was John Stuart Mill's critique of Bentham's hedonistic calculus?

5. What role did Mill believe moral sentiments play in ethical decision-making?

6. How did Mill's childhood education influence his philosophical development?

7. Briefly describe the circumstances surrounding Todd Marinovich. How does his life mirror the pitfalls of Mill's childhood?

8. What is the difference between the "Do No Harm" principle, and the concept that "Pain is not evil?"

9. What role do our mothers and fathers play in dealing with sources of pain and potential injury?

GLOSSARY

1. Utilitarianism: The ethical doctrine that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.

2. Greatest Happiness Principle: The principle that one should act so as to produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

3. Hedonistic Calculus: (Associated with Jeremy Bentham) A method of calculating the degree of pleasure or pain an action is likely to cause, considering factors like intensity, duration, certainty, and extent.

4. Higher vs. Lower Pleasures: Mill's distinction between intellectual and aesthetic pleasures (higher) and physical sensations (lower), arguing that the former are more valuable.

5. Moral Sentiment/Internal Guardrails: Mill's emphasis on the role of conscience, guilt, and moral feelings in guiding ethical choices.

6. Harm Principle: The principle that the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.

7. Atheistic Framework: The absence of belief in God that influences the foundational principles of Mill's Utilitarianism.

8. Elitism: The belief that a select group of individuals, often those with intellectual superiority or expertise, should have a prominent role in shaping society and governance.

9. Do No Harm Principle: The concept of ensuring no action causes unnecessary harm or suffering to individuals, often originating from Christian values.

10. Redemptive Pain: The Christian concept that embraces the idea that suffering can have a positive and transformative purpose.