John Stuart Mills believed very strongly in individual liberty and freedom. However I think that it is first important to state that Mills did not believe in unlimited liberty. He thought that this would lead to conflict, and therefore he believed that government was essential. He believed that the role of the government should be to protect citizens from such conflict, yet still allow for individual liberty and progress.…
“The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness” (11). That quote is from “Utilitarianism” written by John Stuart Mill. Mill is noted in history as a man who pushed for radical change of social and legal principles using Utilitarianism as his guide. That quote sums up his belief in that theory. In this essay I will be discussing Mill, the theory of Utilitarianism and how that theory relates to contemporary ethical issues.…
The complex ethical dilemma to be addressed using the three tests for an ethical decision,…
Mill perceives only one instance in which society is justified in interfering with or limiting the freedoms of its adult members, that being to prevent harm to others. Though Mill would…
Throughout history philosophers have introduced new ideas and belief systems into society in hopes to better the world they lived in. Many philosophers have introduced ideas that are still in practice in American government. While popular belief among those trying to pave a path forward was that government, as it stood, was tyrannical and overly restrictive, however John Stuart Mill believed that through government happiness and freedom can be achieved.…
Mill’s perspective on the human condition is one that I favor immensely opposed to Schopenhauer, because it displays an appreciation for what it means to be a human in its truest form. The fact that we are able to innately enjoy pleasures and reflect on the experience is unique and should be valued. Furthermore, we also are capable of enduring mental suffering and advancing through the struggle as a better being on the other side. Both of these situations effectively demonstrate the privilege we are granted by being human. In this paper I will present why Mill makes a strong argument for this case, and also contribute some of my own ideas to towards the concept.…
Pleasures and pain contribute in determining the classification of one’s actions. In Mill’s Utilitarianism, he examines what determines an action to be considered right or wrong, his own version of the hedonistic utilitarianism argument. He claims that these qualities, including the quantity, are an important factor in determining, when included in the consequences, the criteria of an action. The consequences are significant in determining the results of one’s actions.…
The philosophy of Classical liberalism typically advocates limited government, support of the constitution, due process, the rule of law and individual liberty. Some of the liberties they advocate and believe should be protected include freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion and free markets. Classical liberalism was primarily developed during the 1800s in the United States and Britain in response to the Industrial Revolution. Some of the major theorists of Classic liberalism include John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Adam Smith.…
The themes of this week included, liberalism which has two strong commitments to individual freedom: commitment to freedom as an intrinsic value and commitment to individual freedom its recognition of freedom. However, classical liberalism is a political ideology that values the freedom of individuals, including the freedom of region, speech, press, assembly, and markets, as well as limited government. It was developed in 18th century Europe and first drew on Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations, and then the growing notion of social progress. If so, what are some of different classical understandings of capitalism? In this case, I understand I am studying Social Science.…
Is He or Isn’t He? Locating John Stuart Mill in Ninetee nth Centur y Philosophy By Ellen Melville This paper was written for History 416: Nineteenth Century German and European Intellectual History, taught by Professor Scott Spector in Fall 2008. John Stuart Mill, son of the noted British philosopher James Mill, is routinely grouped with Jeremy Bentham as one of the great Utilitarian thinkers of the nineteenth century. He was devoted to preserving and expanding liberty, along with promoting a limited government. However, his writings demonstrate a deep skepticism regarding the complete faculty of human reason as deified by Enlightenment philosophers of the eighteenth century, as well as his own father. To Mill, the philosophic, rational approach, and especially the Utilitarian ideas espoused by Bentham, is incomplete in that it fails to consider alternative opinions or human emotions which do not fit into the image of the rational, calculating man. To Mill, the Enlightenment philosophers became too subversive in their singular focus on the flaws of society. Moreover, Mill’s writing on Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the noted Romantic writer and poet, commends his philosophic reaction to the Enlightenment. Finally, some of Mill’s writing is strikingly similar to the way Edmund Burke, a founder of conservatism, responded to the French Revolution. Taken together, then, Mill’s writings, though often lumped in with the Utilitarian philosophers of the nineteenth century, tempers the kind of thought which proceeded from the Enlightenment notion of reason with a view of humanity that draws from the Romantics and even some strains of conservative thought. To begin, Mill’s ambivalence towards earlier Utilitarian premises seems to be, at…
John Stuart Mill was considered a Utilitarian. The philosophy of Utilitarianism is that an action should be decided by what is best for society. Mill’s philosophy was in part developed by his upbringing as a child. His childhood was restricted and he was raised in an enviroment where is emotionally needs were not met. Also his father was a friend of Jeremy Bentham. Bentham was a philosopher credited with starting the beginings of the Utiltarianism philosophy. He focused on the relationships between the social classes and working towards social reform. His philosophy focused more on social conditions and human behavior than previous philosophies had. He looked at practical solutions for societies problems and less on the metaphysical aspects…
To be or not to be? Morality is something that leaves every human being with a concern with what's right or wrong. I think about my perception on the behavior that will follow my choices.…
Glory John-Kolawole Assignment 3 John Stuart Mill explores the ideas of liberty, social control, and individuality in his book "On Liberty". At first look, Mill appears to support ideas that are in opposition to one another; he opposes restrictive customs while yet supporting embracing diversity. Nevertheless, by examining liberty, the harm principle, and the inherent worth of individuality, Mill offers a persuasive picture of actual freedom. He promotes the notion that diversity and the rejection of repressive standards are linked. This essay evaluates Mill's philosophical framework by analyzing key passages from "On Liberty," including his opinions on liberty, the application of the harm principle, and the importance of individuality.…
all men exist in "a state of perfect freedom to order their actions and dispose…
This results in Mill’s claim that a Government’s sole responsibility is to represent the interests of its people: “Those interests, I contend, authorize the subjection of individual spontaneity to external control only in respect to those actions of each which concern the interest of other people” (On Liberty 139). He claims that there are certain situations where it is better to have legal remedies than condemning people morally. In these instances he believes Government to be beneficial to society as it promotes the higher good of freedom. Furthermore, he asserts that laws should be made to protect people from engaging in actions that have been tried since the beginning of time and have proven to be harmful (On Liberty 141).…