John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism, Chapter 2
John Stuart Mill argues that some pleasures are higher than others.
He writes:
Of two pleasures, if there be one to which all or almost all who have experience of both give a decided preference, irrespective of any feeling of moral obligation to prefer it, that is the more desirable pleasure.
Now it is an unquestionable fact that those who are equally acquainted with and equally capable of appreciating and enjoying both do give most marked preference to the manner of existence which employs their higher faculties.
Few human creatures would consent to be changed into any of the lower animals for a promise of the fullest allowance of a beast’s pleasures.
It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.
And if the fool, or the pig, are of a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question.
In short:
People prefer higher-level pleasures and would rather be unsatisfied humans than satisfied animals.
The Simpsons, “HOMR”
The character of Homer Simpson is portrayed throughout the series as an unintelligent buffoon.
Earlier in the episode “HOMR,” Homer discovers that the cause of this is a crayon that accidentally became lodged in his brain when he stuck it up his nose as a child.
The crayon is removed, and Homer suddenly becomes highly articulate and exceptionally intelligent.
However, he also becomes alienated from everyone around him and absolutely miserable.
His brilliant daughter Lisa explains that this is normal. She shows him a graph according to which happiness goes down as intelligence goes up.
In the clip, Homer decides to have the crayon replaced and return to blissful ignorance.
Before doing so, he writes a letter to Lisa apologizing for his decision. He tells her that the best part of being intelligent was being able to fully appreciate, for the first time, how great she is.
In short:
When Homer Simpson removes a brain crayon, causing him to become intelligent but unhappy, he decides to replace it, valuing happiness over intelligence.
Questions
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Which philosopher is correct: John Stuart Mill or Homer Simpson? Are all intellectual pleasures really better than all base pleasures? Is it really better to be a lonely philosopher than a happy simpleton?
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Is Lisa Simpson correct when she says that happiness and intelligence are inversely related? Even if the relationship is not strictly inverse, are the two at least in tension?
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Is it even right to judge lives like this? Can we really say that one life is better than another? How would this relate to the value of a life? Is the intellectual life more valuable than the pleasurable life? What sorts of implications would your answer have for those who cannot engage in highly intellectual activities?
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Several studies have shown that parents often report higher levels of overall satisfaction with their lives than non-parents. Yet when parents are asked randomly throughout the day how happy they are, they often report less happiness than non-parents.
Similarly, people who live in cold climates may be just as likely to report satisfaction with their lives as people who live in warm climates. Yet when asked randomly how happy they are, people in warm climates are more likely to report happiness than people in cold climates.
What do you think is going on here? How does this connect with the discussion above?
Hint: it may have something to do with meaning, which is different from happiness. But there could be other answers.
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Mill’s discussion is actually part of a larger issue within the theory of value.
The big word for this is axiology.
Are there some values that simply cannot be traded against one another?
For instance, does it make sense to talk about trading some unit of autonomy for some unit of security?
This issue often comes up when we talk about markets.
Does it make sense to talk about the monetary value of a family heirloom, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, or a person’s life?
How does the fact that we do, in practice, act as if these things have monetary value complicate your answer?