Which of the following best reflects Mill’s view on when self-sacrifice is morally justified?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Mill’s utilitarian principle judges actions by their tendency to produce happiness; praise goes to motives that aim at promoting general welfare. Relevant knowledge: Mill’s “greatest happiness” principle (utility) makes consequences central, but he also recognizes moral praise for benevolent intentions. In Utilitarianism he defends the view that a disposition deliberately to promote others’ happiness is morally commendable, even if particular acts sometimes fail.

Step-by-step reasoning:
1. Identify the norm: For Mill, rightness is tied to producing happiness; moral appraisal combines outcomes and the agent’s motive insofar as it aims at utility.
2. Apply to self-sacrifice: If a person sacrifices for another with the sincere intention of relieving suffering, that motive directly aligns with promoting happiness (the utilitarian end).
3. Consider consequences: If the sacrifice actually helps others, it clearly increases utility and is right. If it fails, Mill still regards the benevolent motive as praiseworthy because it manifests the disposition to promote the general good.
4. Contrast other motives: Self-sacrifice done for self-glorification, duty detached from utility, or mere aesthetic elevation does not track Mill’s central criterion as closely.

Why the correct answer is correct: Option (b) states self-sacrifice is admirable when done with sincere intent to relieve another’s suffering. That matches Mill’s emphasis on promoting happiness and his praise for benevolent intentions directed at others’ welfare. The motive matters because it shows commitment to the utilitarian end.

Why the other options are incorrect:
- (a) Blanket rejection contradicts Mill’s positive evaluation of benevolent motives.
- (c) “Moral elevation even if no clear benefit” overemphasizes aesthetic or sentimental value; Mill requires promotion (or sincere aim to promote) of happiness.
- (d) “Only when it leads to a greater good beyond the sacrifice itself” is too restrictive—Mill praises sincere benevolence even when outcomes don’t pan out.
- (e) Treating intrinsic worth as duty/virtue echoes Kantian duty ethics, not Mill’s utilitarian standard.

Conclusion: The correct answer is (b), consistent with Mill’s utilitarian praise for sincere, benevolent intention to relieve suffering.

Which of the following best reflects Mill’s view on when self-sacrifice is morally justified?Single choice

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