O amor na teoria de John Stuart Mill

Abstract

This paper aims to point the concept and function of love in John Stuart Mill's moral theory. We will see that in this moral system, love is synonymous with sympathy. Sympathy is considered a moral feeling of high order and a pleasure of superior quality that answer the precepts of the principle of utility. This principle, which has its foundation in the hedonist thesis, recommends that men maximize happiness and move away from pain. The feeling of sympathy (love) is the disposition that men naturally possess to consider the happiness of others as being part of their own happiness. This feeling functions as a powerful moral sanction that effectively impels individuals to act according to the standard of utilitarian morality. In order to better understand the implications that surround the discussion of love in Mill's theory, we will analyze the pillars of the author's philosophical system: empiricism, hedonism, associationism, the canons of psychology, ethology, and the notion of enhancement of human nature and social institutions. These pillars give rise to a series of complexities in the theory of utility, when we compare Mill's philosophical legacy with the utilitarian tradition before the author, such as the notion of secondary principles of morality and sub-theses of the hedonist thesis. We will also analyze through the Autobiography reports how some events in the trajectory of Mill's life were decisive for the elaboration of his more complex moral system and for the love to gain prominence in his theory. Issues related to justice and freedom will also be analyzed in the light of the concept of love in Mill's theory.