Q0344

“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig…” — John Stuart Mill (Utilitarianism II)

Verified English quotation. Primary source: Utilitarianism II. Theme: happiness.

English

It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.
Thinker John Stuart Mill
School Utilitarianism
Source Utilitarianism II
Theme Happiness
Another quotation More from this thinker

Source and attribution

The archive attributes this English wording to Utilitarianism II and files it under Utilitarianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.

About John Stuart Mill

John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) refined utilitarianism and authored On Liberty, a classic defense of individuality against social and political tyranny.

Interpretation

Mill is revising utilitarianism rather than abandoning it. His critics held that if pleasure is the standard, the satisfied pig is better off than the dissatisfied human; his response is that pleasures differ in kind, and that those who have experienced both do not trade the higher for the lower. The claim is therefore about a hierarchy of pleasures rather than a rejection of hedonism. It is also, admittedly, an appeal to the judgement of competent judges.

Why it matters

The phrase worth keeping is his preference for dissatisfaction: the person who has known something better is not improved by being made comfortable.

Concepts in this quote

Happiness
Happiness—or flourishing—is a central aim in ethics: what makes a life go well, and whether pleasure alone is enough.
Equality
Equality appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat equality as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
Dignity
Dignity names the worth that persons claim simply as persons—and the respect that worth demands.

How to cite this quotation

APA: John Stuart Mill. (n.d.). It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0344

MLA: John Stuart Mill. “It is better to be a human being….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0344.

Chicago: John Stuart Mill. “It is better to be a human being….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0344.

Frequently asked questions

What is the source of the quotation “It is better to be a human being…”?

The passage is attributed to John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism II. The archive attributes this English wording to Utilitarianism II and files it under Utilitarianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.

What does John Stuart Mill mean by happiness?

Greek eudaimonia, Buddhist analyses of craving, utilitarian happiness, and modern well-being research all contest the meaning of a good life. This passage enters that discussion through happiness, equality, dignity.

Explore John Stuart Mill on happiness

Same thinker

More from John Stuart Mill

  1. The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs.
  2. It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.
  3. The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.
  4. He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that.
  5. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.

All quotations by John Stuart Mill

Same theme

More on happiness

  1. The human good is activity of soul in accordance with virtue.
  2. Of all that wisdom provides for the happiness of a whole life, by far the greatest is the possession of friendship.
  3. It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.
  4. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.
  5. The secret of happiness is this: let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions…be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile.

Browse the happiness theme