ŠTA AKO SVI UČINE ISTO? (MIL I UTILITARISTIČKA GENERALIZACIJA)
„WHAT IF EVERYBODY DOES THE SAME?” (MILL AND THE UTILITARIAN GENERALIZATION)

Summary/Abstract: The debate whether ethical thought of John Stuart Mill should be interpreted as a sort of rule-utilitarianism or in a manner of „classical“ act-utilitarianism was launched in early 1950’s. One of the „proofs“ that Mill, in fact, was a rule-utilitarian is based on the presence of the „generalization test“ in his work. This test in the form of asking and answering the question „What if everybody does the same?“ is the essence of socalled „utilitarian generalization“ – one of two main forms of rule-utilitarianism. The author discusses what the purpose of this test in Mill’s work has. It is usually assumed that „generalization test“ is normative in its nature, but there is strong evidence in Mill’s text that it has a fact-tracking role. The fact-tracking sense of the „generalization test“ cannot prove that Mill was rule-utilitarian.

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