John Stuart Mill And Peter Singer Approach Moral...

Title Hook. Both John Stuart Mill and Peter Singer approach moral philosophy from a utilitarian perspective. In this paper, I will argue that Singer’s and Mill’s utilitarian philosophies share numerous similarities but also differ. Singer and Mill agree on the importance of selflessness, the idea that we can end human suffering, and the significance of consequences. However, their views conflict concerning the relevance of motivation. I contend that Singer improves upon Mill’s utilitarianism since Singer accurately recognizes the discrepancy between a life of absolute affluence and absolute poverty and also wrestles with the intricate concept of motive. Singer and Mill’s views on unselfishness and our ability to end human suffering align.†¦show more content†¦Mill argues that all sources â€Å"of human suffering are in a great degree, many of them almost entirely, conquerable by human care and effort† (Mill 15). Through this statement, Mill and Singer’s perspectives realign. Singer states that â€Å"if we stopped feeding animals on grains and soybeans, the amount of food saved would-- if distributed to those who need it-- be more than enough to end hunger throughout the world† (Singer 220). Thus, the problem rests in the selfishness of affluent nations, who do not distribute their grain to poor nations. Singer furthermore argues that we could provide contraceptives to poor nations to slow their birth rates (Singer 241). By evenly distributing food and slowly the birth rate, human suffering caused by absolute poverty could cease to exist. Mill and Singer agree that consequences are more important than motive yet disagree on motive’s relevance. Mill states that right actions do â€Å"not necessarily indicate a virtuous character† and that blamable actions â€Å"often proceed from qualities entitled to praise† (Mill 20). Similarly, Singer states that â€Å"there is no intrinsic difference between killing and allowing to die† (Singer 224). He uses the analogy of the travelling salesman to illustrate this argument. In this analogy, a travelling salesman sells tinned food that he knows contains a contaminant that will double the risk of stomach cancer. He sells the food nonetheless, with no identifiable victims and no certainty (SingerShow MoreRelatedUtilitarian Theory Of Moral Status1189 Words   |  5 Pagesintend to show that utilitarian theory of moral status is much more preferable than deontological approach. I will demonstrate this idea by using by using the concept of moral laws by Immanuel Kant and John Mill along with Peter Singer’s S peciesism and Moral Status. Moral status is a term that deals with who and what is more valuable, or have higher quality, in which they should be treated specially; and both deontological and utilitarian aspect of moral status is different from one and another. 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