Parfit's Argument Analysis

Furthermore, the fact Parfit uses “happiness” and “quality of life” interchangeably leaves room for debate. Because he does not accept utilitarian happiness as being objective, the reader must again make an assumption: that Parfit believes happiness is subjective. If subjectivity is the case in terms of measuring happiness, then whole population comparisons and contrasts cannot be formulated. Though this may seem to swing in favour of Parfit’s argument, as it dismisses the utilitarian method of measurement altogether, it actually works against his aim. The irony following the assumption that Parfit believes subjectivity to be the true measurement of happiness is that his own argument also presupposes happiness amongst populations in order to
prove utilitarian assumptions wrong.