Similarities Between Mill And Aristotle

Given that John Stuart Mill was a student of Aristotle’s work, it comes as no surprise that there are many commonalities between Aristotle’s and Mill’s ideas. One of the biggest ideas shared by the two is that all humans are striving towards the Good in their lives. However, while they both believe happiness is the ultimate Good in our lives, they differ in their conclusions of what happiness is and how to reach it. As previously mentioned, Mill studied Aristotle’s works in his early life which directly influences his ideals. Therefore, before we discuss the new ideas put forth by Mill, we must first discuss the ideas put forth by Aristotle in relation to what happiness is. In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle claims that happiness
However, according to Aristotle, happiness is not an emotion, but rather a human state achieved by their actions. The actions that must be taken in order reach happiness are what Aristotle considers to be virtuous actions. Aristotle defines virtuous actions as those that, in being performed, are fulfilling our purpose as humans. As Aristotle views things, all humans have a function in their lives and performing that function is all that humans should concern themselves with. That human function is behaving in accordance with reason. Aristotle notes that humans have the unique capacity to communicate with each other and therefore reason. It is because humans possess this ability to communicate and reason that we must always utilize these when ever acting. When we are behaving by using reason, that is when we are behaving virtuously. Now, by behaving in accordance to reason, Aristotle is referring to what he calls the “mean between two vices.” Every action has two extremes; deficiency and excess. Being at either of these extremes is to be
Mill believes that happiness is the presence of pleasure and the absence of pain. Where Aristotle believed that happiness is simply a state of being achieved through virtuous action, Mill claims that happiness is a feeling that is directly obtained through our actions. As such, Mill believes that any action that will increase our pleasure or reduce our pain is a good action. With this view of happiness, the individual is more important that the State. Aristotle believes that the state must teach its citizens exactly how they must act. Mill rejects this. He believes that people find happiness on their own. One of the main reasons that Mill claims that the State cannot guide all of its people to true happiness is because all humans are different and therefore it is impossible to reach a conclusion to how every single must act. As Mill points out, “No two ages, and scarcely any two countries, have decided it alike…” What is deemed virtuous in one State, is not inherently virtuous in another