Envy an Ignoramous

Connor Newlin

                Mill makes a very strong argument and for the first time I am thinking someone has come up with a decent, definitive answer as to explain human action. He expertly addresses all objections to utilitarianism before getting into the thick of his analysis and for the most part they seem indisputable. My lone objection to his argument is over the idea of ignorance. The phrase “ignorance is bliss” I believe has some truths to it but Mill suggests that higher knowledge or enlightenment is always preferable to being a satisfied fool. He compares people to swine and says that everyone who would rather be a dissatisfied human than a satisfied swine. I think that by making this analogy everyone will agree with the idea however things are not always this simple in the real world.

                Sometimes ignorance may truly be a preferable alternative and this is where I find fault with his argument. There are some that would agree that the government has secrets that it cannot tell its people and I think to protect its citizens a government must sometimes keep secrets and I can acknowledge that I am content with not knowing this information. Mill would say the unaware will always prefer their ignorance because they don’t know the possible benefits or advancement from new information; they are content with how things are. However, I think we can all acknowledge a time where we envy a small child as they live their lives worry free, unaware of the future stresses and pressures from the adult world. In this case a higher intelligence desires the life of a less intelligent or ignorant human being. This is the only small objection that I can think of otherwise I look forward to see how utilitarianism is expanded upon.