https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/understanding-john-stuart-mill--5668221This podcast is about Utilitarianism. A later podcast will be about Mill's On Liberty. Students will learn much more about Mill's classic books if they purchase Houlgate's guide-book Understanding John Stuart Mill and/or Mill's original books (Utilitarianism and On Liberty), available at low cost on Amazon.com or at your favorite book store.
Having the book on hand while Professor Houlgate talks and comments will help listeners focus during the episode and mark off those sections they would like to read again after the broadcast.
Each episode will be aired on Mondays at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.]]>enPhilosophyCopyright Laurence Houlgatehttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/1b7565f509644437fad4b8a6de43ad72.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/understanding-john-stuart-mill--5668221Wed, 12 Jun 2024 20:54:40 +0000Laurence HoulgateLaurence Houlgateldhoulgate@yahoo.comThis multi-episode podcast is hosted by Professor Laurence Houlgate, Ph.D. The podcast is based on Houlgate's best-selling study guide Understanding John Stuart Mill: The Smart Student's Guide to Utiltarianism and On Liberty, two books he taught...This podcast is about Utilitarianism. A later podcast will be about Mill's On Liberty. Students will learn much more about Mill's classic books if they purchase Houlgate's guide-book Understanding John Stuart Mill and/or Mill's original books (Utilitarianism and On Liberty), available at low cost on Amazon.com or at your favorite book store.
Having the book on hand while Professor Houlgate talks and comments will help listeners focus during the episode and mark off those sections they would like to read again after the broadcast.
Each episode will be aired on Mondays at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.]]>false60c407ee-7ba3-5baf-9ba7-18cc7e0215e2episodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-j-s-mill-s-utilitarianism-ep-14-laudable-injustice--52231979https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52231979Tue, 20 Dec 2022 01:00:02 +0000Laurence Houlgate"Laudable injustice" looks like a contradiction, but Mill uses these words to describe what happens when an act or omission that is unjust in most cases is justifiable in a small group of other cases. Mill uses the example of kidnapping a doctor at...1019injustice,justice,rights,trolley-problem,utilityfalse14fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-j-s-mill-s-utilitarianism-ep-13-justice-and-utility-cont--52170303https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52170303Tue, 13 Dec 2022 04:26:16 +0000Laurence HoulgateThis episode begins with an imaginary conversation between Mill and John Locke about the idea of natural rights. Mill rejects the idea of rights that exist outside of civil society and Locke has difficulty responding without engaging in circular...937abortion,john-locke,justice,rightsfalse12fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-j-s-mill-s-utilitarianism-ep-12-feelings-of-justice-and-the-idea-of-a-right--52111869https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52111869Tue, 06 Dec 2022 17:56:09 +0000Laurence HoulgateIn this episode I explain Mill's account of "feelings" of justice and injustice, and how Mill ties this concept to the idea of a violation of a moral or legal rule and the idea of punishment. I will also discuss Mill's concept of "a right" and what...1016a-right,feelings-of-injutice,punishment,retaliation,rights,sentimentsfalse12fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-j-s-mill-s-utilitarianism-justice-and-utility-ep-11--52048256https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52048256Tue, 29 Nov 2022 20:31:30 +0000Laurence HoulgateIn chapter 5 of Understanding John Stuart Mill, the most serious criticism of the utility principle is dissected and explained. The criticism is based on the claim that utilitarians cannot accommodate the ideas of justice and injustice. We will show...1204breaking-faith,equality,expediency,feelings-of-injustice,imperfect-obligations,inequality,injustice,just,justice,obligations,perfect-obligations,rights,unjust,wrongdoingfalse11fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-j-s-mill-s-utilitarianism-proof-of-the-principle-of-utility-cont-ep-10--51975810https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51975810Tue, 22 Nov 2022 02:56:42 +0000Laurence HoulgateIn this episode we discuss Mill's attempt to show that the following propositions are not contradictory: (1) Happiness is the only thing desirable as an end; and (2) Virtue is a good in itself, without looking to any end beyond it. Mill does this by...1105fame,happiness,power,virtue,wealthfalse10fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-j-s-mill-s-utilitarianism-proof-of-the-principle-of-utility-ep-9--51892705https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51892705Tue, 15 Nov 2022 01:30:01 +0000Laurence HoulgateMill's theory of life has two elements: (1) Happiness is desirable as an end; and, (2) Happiness is the only thing desirable as an end. In this episode we will discuss Mill's unusual "proof" of element #1. The larger question is: How does one prove...620logic,proof,reasoningfalse8fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-j-s-mill-s-utilitarianism-the-ultimate-sanction-cont-ep-8--51892698https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51892698Tue, 15 Nov 2022 01:00:02 +0000Laurence HoulgateThis episode is a continuation of EP7. It is about Aristotle and Mill's claim that all humans have social feelings for all other humans. It is important to point out that this is an empirical claim, to be proved only by experience and observation,...348desired-as-a-means-to-an-end,desired-as-an-end,guilt,happiness,human-nature,ingroups,moral-feelings,outgroups,shame,social-feelingsfalse6fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-j-s-mill-s-utilitarianism-ep-7-the-ultimate-sanction--51815818https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51815818Tue, 08 Nov 2022 01:00:02 +0000Laurence HoulgateOnce we understand the principle of utility, what are the motives for obeying it? Mill writes that this is a problem for all moral theories. The general question is "Why should I be moral?" The particular question is "Why should I promote the...1317conscience,guilt,moral-feelings,motivation,motives,remorse,utilityfalse7fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-j-s-mill-s-utilitarianism-ep-6-what-utilitarianism-is-cont--51744154https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51744154Tue, 01 Nov 2022 00:00:02 +0000Laurence HoulgateMill continues his responses to his critics in the concluding section of chapter 2 of Utilitarianism. The two final criticisms are that the principle of utility is useless in most cases in which moral choices must be made, and that utilitarianism...1109moral-rules,narcissism,partiality,selfishness,utilitarian-theory,utilityfalse6fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-j-s-mill-s-utilitarianism-what-utilitarianism-is-cont-ep5--51670437https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51670437Tue, 25 Oct 2022 00:00:02 +0000Laurence HoulgateMill continues his lesson on the definition of utilitarianism by responding to his critics. In this episode, we discuss several responses to the criticisms that (1) utilitarianism is "too high for humans" to ever attain; (2) utilitarians are "cold...1154expedient,godless,immoral,intention,motive,utilitarianism-chapter-twofalse5fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-j-s-mills-utilitarianism-ep4-what-utilitarianism-is-cont--51603504In this episode, we will also discuss the second criticism of the utilitarianism principle -- that the principle is "irrational" and therefore, impossible to achieve as a guide to one's life.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51603504Tue, 18 Oct 2022 00:17:30 +0000Laurence HoulgateIn episode 4, Mill continues answering objections to his critics. In episode 3 he answered the "pig" objection by pointing out that pigs are incapable of experiencing pleasures of the mind. Therefore, when critics argue that the utilitarian...In this episode, we will also discuss the second criticism of the utilitarianism principle -- that the principle is "irrational" and therefore, impossible to achieve as a guide to one's life.]]>1228enjoyment,excitement,hero,irrational,martyr,sacrifice,utilitarian,utility,virtuefalse4fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-j-s-mill-s-utilitarianism-what-utilitarianism-is-ep3--51519252"the greatest happiness" principle) and he tells his readers that the principle rests on a foundational claim that happiness is the only thing desirable (all other things are desirable as means to happiness). But the main topic in the chapter is Mill' rebuttal of every criticism made by the opponents of utilitarianism. It is important to read this chapter carefully because this we learn more about utilitarianism here than at any other chapter of his book.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51519252Tue, 11 Oct 2022 00:00:02 +0000Laurence HoulgateThis episode of the podcast is about J.S. Mill's brilliant defense of several objections made to the principle of utility. He begins by offering a definition of the principle (also called "the greatest happiness" principle) and he tells his readers..."the greatest happiness" principle) and he tells his readers that the principle rests on a foundational claim that happiness is the only thing desirable (all other things are desirable as means to happiness). But the main topic in the chapter is Mill' rebuttal of every criticism made by the opponents of utilitarianism. It is important to read this chapter carefully because this we learn more about utilitarianism here than at any other chapter of his book.]]>1115happiness,mental-pleasure,pain,physical-pleaure,pleasure,the-swine-objection,unhappiness,utilitarianism,utilityfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-j-s-mill-s-utilitarianism-ep-2-general-remarks--51422436,]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51422436Tue, 04 Oct 2022 00:00:02 +0000Laurence HoulgateIn episode 2 we discuss Chapter 1 of Mill's book Utilitarianism. The chapter is titled "General Remarks," an introduction to the rest of the book. In the chapter, Mill discusses the different way in which "first principles" relate to philosophy and...,]]>1366first-principles-of-morals,first-principles-of-science,inductive,intuitive,philosophy,proof,science,two-meanings-of-prooffalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-john-stuart-mill-s-utilitarianism-about-mill-ep1--51327627https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51327627Tue, 27 Sep 2022 00:00:02 +0000Laurence HoulgateDid you know how to read a book in a foreign language at the age of 3? Did you know how to read anything at the age of 3? John Stuart Mill was reading books in Greek at that age, and by the time he was 12 years old he had mastered the most difficult...1122moral-philosophy,philosophy,political-philosophy,utilitarianismfalsefull