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john stuart mill's theory of utilitarianism
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john stuart mill's theory of utilitarianism
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John Stuart Mill was a very intelligent man, who not only was a great economist of his time, but he was also a philosopher, scholar, author and a political scientist. He was the “most influential English-speaking philosopher of the 19th century.” (John Mill, 1) John made a huge impact on the world. He contributed many ideas and beliefs to society. John Mill was a man of many talents, and he had the courage to hold beliefs that most people did not agree with.
Biographical Information
John Stuart Mill was born on May 20th, 1806. He was born in London, United Kingdom. His father was the historian and economist, James Mill. His mother was Harriet Barrow. He started learning Greek when he was only 3 years old, and Latin at 8 years old. Mill’s father met Jeremy Bentham in 1808. They lead the “philosophic radicals” movement. They wanted universal voting rights (for men), and they wanted to consider human happiness instead of “natural laws.” Their movement later morphed into a belief called utilitarianism. Utilitarianism’s definition is “the ethical doctrine that virtue is based on utility, and that conduct should be directed toward promoting the greatest happiness of the greatest number of persons.” (Utilitarianism, 1)
James Mill earned a job at the East India Company, after writing History of British India in 1818. He climbed his way up to the chief examiner position. James made sure that John got a good education. John studied many different subjects, including math, history, and economics. He was 14 years old when he grasped the fundamentals of economic theory. John was heavily influenced by Jeremy Bentham, his father, and the philosophical radicals. John devoted time to many periodicals, including the West Minster Review. M...
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He is was total opposite of Metternich. Mill’s “On liberty” essay was about the individual liberty. To Mill’s, the only important thing is the happiness of the individual, and such happiness may only be accomplished in an enlightened society, in which people are free to partake in their own interests. Thus, Mills stresses the important value of individuality, of personal development, both for the individual and society for future progress. For Mill, an educated person is the one who acts on what he or she understands and who does everything in his or her power to understand. Mill held this model out to all people, not just the specially gifted, and advocates individual initiative over social control. He emphasizes that things done by individuals are done better than those done by governments. Also, individual action advances the mental education of that individual, something that government action cannot ever do, and for government action always poses a threat to liberty and must be carefully
In the 1720’s to the 1820’s there were several events, changes, and processes that occurred in America. The three events I am choosing to analyze are: The Great Awakening, The Revolution, and The Market Economy. Each one of these events had a cultural, social and economic aspect. Each one of these events had different impacts and was manifested in several different ways.
John Stuart Mill was a great supporter of the suffrages. He helped to found the first British Women-Suffrage Association in 1865. At this same time he entered the Parliament as a member from Westminster. Mill ...
Duiker, William J. and Spielvogel, Jackson J. World History to 1800. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.
Richard Lebow’s analyzed Mill’s arguments sustaining that it can be identified two contrary visions; one arguing for the market on its own and the other for the necessity of a state’s intervention. This classification of two clearly opposed views is also raised by Gide and Rist in the following statement “During the first half of his life, Mill was an individualist who was deeply committed to utilitarianism. During the second half, he was a socialist who remained a champion of individual liberty” (1947, page
From top to bottom, John Stuart Mill put forth an incredible essay depicting the various unknown complexities of morality. He has a remarkable understanding and appreciation of utilitarianism and throughout the essay the audience can grasp a clearer understanding of morality. Morality, itself, may never be totally defined, but despite the struggle and lack of definition it still has meaning. Moral instinct comes differently to everyone making it incredibly difficult to discover a basis of morality. Society may never effectively establish the basis, but Mill’s essay provides people with a good idea.
Mill, John S. The Basic Writings of John Stuart Mill. New York, New York: Modern Library, 2002. Print.
“The Life of the Times 1919 – 29.” Great Events of the 20th Century. Ed. Richard
For Mill, the freedom that enables each individual to explore his or her own particular way of life is essential for a generous and diverse development of humanity. The only source of potential within society to further continue human development is the spontaneity or creativity that lies within each individual. Mill has a utilitarian view on freedom. He was especially keen on individual liberty because it allowed the greatest measure of happiness. His concern is not to declare liberty as a natural right but to rather set out the appropriate constraints within ‘Civil or Social liberty’. Civil liberty is defined as the limit society can exert its legitimate power over each individual and social liberty has much to do with a political principle
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“Political and Social Milestones 1800-1860”. Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Austin: Hold, Rinehart and Winston, 2008. 160-161. Print.
Ritchie, D. and Broussar, A. (1997). American History: The Early Years to 1877. New York: Glencoe
Fitzpatrick, J. R. (2006). John Stuart Mill's political philosophy: Balancing freedom and the collective good. London [u.a.: Continuum.
Pyle, Andrew, ed. The Subjection of Women: Contemporary Responses to John Stuart Mill. Bristol: Thoemmes Press, 1995.
Watt, Ian. Conrad in the Nineteenth Century. San Diego: U. of California P, 1979. 168-200, 249-53.