What does Mill mean by higher and lower pleasures
Pleasure, and freedom from pain imply the lower pleasures which involved purely body sensations (mill, p.187).Mills claims that understanding of higher and lower pleasures depends upon the perception of happiness and pleasure by a person himself.And, since a small amount of a higher pleasure is worth any amount of a lower one, even if socrates is not fully satisfied enjoying the higher pleasures, he is better off than the fool who is completely satisfied with the lower ones.It is also one of the most controversial parts of mill's utilitarianism.A being of higher facilities requires more to make him happy, is capable probably of more acute sufferings (mill 529).
Mill believes in a clear distinction between the lower and higher pleasures, and that only humans are capable of the higher pleasures.This video continues the class discussion on mill.Mill's theory of higher and lower pleasures.Who says that the higher pleasures only include those associated with the mental world?Arguably, higher faculties can only be used to produce higher pleasures if the more primitive needs are satisfied.
It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.What did mill argue humans would prefer out of higher and lower pleasures?The standard for distinguishing is a pleasure of higher quality is chosen over another pleasure even if this pleasure does indeed cause us to be a bit uncomfortable.