"Discomfort within Utilitarianism": A Freudian Re-evaluation of Millian Eudaemonism

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Published: Jan 11, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/ethiki.44124
Keywords:
Utilitarianism; Mill; Eudaemonistic Ethics; Freud; Discomfort; Happiness; Civilization; Metapsychology
Konstantinos-Rafail Xefloudas
Abstract

This article initiates a systematic dialogue between Freudian cultural theory and ethical philosophy, specifically focusing on the metapsychological re-evaluation of ethical principles that define collective behavior . The author examines "happiness" as a structural element of Utilitarianism, which is often treated as a psychological tendency capitalized normatively to meet the requirements of generalized eudaemonistic education. Using Sigmund Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents as a primary framework alongside John Stuart Mill's utilitarian theory, the paper evaluates the gaps in these ethical approaches regarding the limits set by human drive mechanisms and their cultural performance . The analysis explores the inherent implementation weaknesses of the eudaemonistic ideal, contrasting the philosophical drive toward pleasure with the Freudian recognition of an a priori impossibility of achieving absolute happiness within the constraints of civilization. Ultimately, the study seeks to highlight how ethical welfare depends on the degree to which these psychological movements are realized or restricted by cultural evolution.

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