Which of the following would Mill most likely reject as a valid explanation for why we care so strongly about justice?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Mill's utilitarian theory grounds justice in human well‑being and moral sentiments, not in a metaphysical or religious "cosmic order." Mill treats justice as a class of moral rules whose observance is essential to social utility, arising from feelings (sympathy, resentment, desire for security) and justifiable by their contribution to general happiness.

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Mill is a utilitarian: the rightness of rules/institutions is judged by their contribution to overall happiness (utility).
- In "Utilitarianism" (esp. the chapter on justice) Mill argues justice corresponds to rules essential to social well‑being (rights, protection, impartiality).
- He explains the sentiment of justice as connected to natural human feelings (sympathy, resentment, desire for security), not divine or ancient cosmic law.

2) Step‑by‑step reasoning
- Compare each option to Mill’s account:
  a) Enforcement of moral duties to prevent harm and promote general good fits Mill’s willingness to defend social enforcement when it secures utility (harm principle and social sanctions).
  b) The claim that justice is rooted in ancient religious traditions equating law with cosmic order posits a religious/metaphysical origin. Mill explicitly refuses such metaphysical grounding, preferring empirical, psychological, and utilitarian explanations.
  c) “None of these” would only be correct if Mill accepted all offered explanations; but he rejects (b), so (c) is wrong.
  d) Justice as rules essential to well‑being matches Mill’s view that justice protects rights and security necessary for happiness.
  e) Mill attributes part of our sense of justice to emotions like resentment fused with sympathy for victims — this is in his psychological account.

3) Calculations/intermediate steps
- No numerical calculations; the logical elimination above serves as the demonstration.

4) Why the correct answer is correct
- Option (b) attributes a religious/cosmic grounding for justice, which contradicts Mill’s empirical, utilitarian grounding and his account of moral sentiments.

5) Why other options are incorrect
- a) Compatible with Mill (social enforcement when utility requires).
- c) Incorrect because at least one listed option is rejected by Mill.
- d) Matches Mill’s description of justice as essential rules for well‑being.
- e) Matches Mill’s psychological explanation for the origin of the sentiment of justice.

6) Conclusion
- Therefore Mill would most likely reject option b), which matches the provided correct answer.

Which of the following would Mill most likely reject as a valid explanation for why we care so strongly about justice?Single choice

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