128 



and the rule for measuring it against quantity, being the pre- 

 ference felt by those who in their opportunities of experience, 

 to which must be added their habits of self-consciousness and 

 self -observation, are best furnished with the means of com- 

 parison". 1 



Mill thus starts in the sphere of feeling. And if society 

 is to be understood to be but an aggregate of individuals, the 

 ' good ' can only be that which is good in somebody's experience. 

 The individual, as the subject of the good, has ultimate value. 

 From the standpoint of society, the 'goods' of the sum of 

 individuals have ultimate value. In this sense, Utilitarian- 

 ism is inductive and empiric. 



But although this is Mill's starting-point, he does not 

 long remain on this level. He saw that there was a good 

 which is other than the 'good 'of any particular individual, or 

 the several 'goods' of a number of individuals. From the 

 side of the feelings this transcendence of the individual was 

 found in the subjective feeling of sympathy by Adam Smith, 

 according to which the individual became, not an absolute 

 unit in society, but a social individual. For Mill, as already 

 indicated, this sympathetic factor, known as the 'social feeling' 

 supplies the 'ultimate sanction of the principle of utility'. 2 



"There is, " he says, "a natural basis of sentiment for Util- 

 itarian morality; * * * and this it is which, when once 

 the general happiness is recognized as the ethical standard, 

 will constitute the strength of the Utilitarian morality. This 

 firm foundation is that of the social feelings of mankind ; the 

 desire to be in unity with our fellow creatures, which is al- 

 ready a powerful principle in human nature, and happily one 

 of those which tend to become stronger, even without express 

 inculcation, from the influences of advancing civilization. 

 The social state is at once so natural, so necessary, and so 

 habitual to man, that, except in some unusual circumstances 

 or by an effort of voluntary abstraction, he never conceives 

 himself otherwise than as a member of a body; and this as- 

 sociation is riveted more and more, as mankind are further 

 removed from the state of savage independence." 3 



"In this way," Mill proceeds, "people grow up unable to 

 conceive as possible to them a state of total disregard of other 

 people's interests. Not only does all strengthening 



of social ties, and all healthy growth of society, give to each 

 individual a stronger personal interest in practically consulting 

 the welfare of others; it also leads him to identify his feelings 



'O.C. p. 17. 

 20.0. p. 50. 

 3 O.C. pp. 46-7. 



