For example, if (while in a drunken rage) I had promised to kill someone, that would probably not be a good promise to keep. And even the most carefully considered of commitments can sometimes go astray. .
(b).
An "action done from duty has its moral worth not in the purpose to be attained by it, but in the maxim in accordance with which it is decided upon." (Kant).
"Don't kill" is a definite no in Kant's beliefs. This is because, contrary to John Mill, Kant believes in why the person must die, be it to make one person happy or ten. This cannot be applied to everyone because then you would have a lot of people justifying their committing murder somehow and a lot of people lost.
"Don't cheat" is also a moral. Just as in the first moral, where would everyone be if we all cheated on taxes or exams? .
"Don't smoke tobacco" is not a moral. It doesn't matter how much you smoke. It doesn't matter because even if everyone else smoked tobacco, we don't have enough proof to say that it will definitely kill you so the world will continue to function normally.
"Keep promises" is a moral because if everyone stopped keeping promises then almost nothing would get done properly and a lot of commotion would ensue.
(2).
John Mill believes that all morals should guide us in directions that will benefit us. It is based upon this belief that he has created the moral theory of utilitarianism. First he explains consequentialism, which is the idea that morality of actions should be judged based on the consequences of those actions. So, an action that produces most "good" would be considered as the most morally right. Then he explains to us what "good" is. "Good" is any entity that creates the maximum pleasure or prevents the most pain. John Mill believes that the whole society should be taken into equal consideration to see how much happiness any act can bring. I think people are already looking to find happiness in some way, shape or form.
