I chose to review the fifth chapter of “New Ideas From Dead Economists” titled The Stormy Mind of John Stuart Mill. John Stuart Mill was born in 1806 in London to two strict parents who began to educate their son at a very young age. Mill’s father was James Mill, a famous historian and economist, who began to teach his son Greek at the age of three. The book reports that “by eight, the boy had read Plato, Xenophon, and Diogenes” and by twelve “Mill exhausted well-stocked libraries, reading Aristotle and Aristophanes and mastering calculus and geometry” (Buchholz 93). The vast amount of knowledge that Mill gained at a young age no doubt assisted him in becoming such a well-recognized philosopher and economist. It was not until Mill’s late teens that he began to study Jeremy Bentham and his utilitarianism theory. “Reading Bentham satisfied Mill’s cravings for scientific precision and gave him a new way of looking at social intercourse” (Buchholz 97). Mill became so intrigued with Bentham that he decided to preach the Benthamite gospel in the Westminster Review, a publication started by his father and Jeremy Bentham. Mill’s views soon changed as he grew older. It is said that Mill had a mid-life crisis at the age of twenty because he took the Bentamite precision too far and actually forgot the ultimate goal of Utilitarianism in the first place, happiness. He struggled for the next few months and often contemplated suicide. Mill arose from this dark time in his life when he
Nick Justice Dr. Felis PAR-101-003 8 November 2015 Mid-Term Paper: Locke & Mill This paper will explain Mill’s argument and then make an argument that Locke and Mill would not agree on the idea of free speech. Prior to comparing them to Locke’s arguments, it is important to understand Mill’s view on free speech. In chapter 2 of On Liberty, Mill concludes that "If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind." [Mill p11]
Philosopher Beliefs John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was a philosopher, economist, and civil servant. He was an advocate for individual freedom and
Then his life was flipped and he had to make some hard decisions, an he became very troubled. He walked around depressed and if suicide wasn't
John Stuart Mill states that humans have a tendency to conform to the group’s actions. He also claims that there are nonconformists who ultimately inspire regular people to express themselves. While Mill argues that nonconformity leads to innovation, John Didion argues that nonconformity leads to personal worthlessness. In Slouching Towards Bethlehem, Joan Didion constantly demonstrates how clueless everyone she interacts with is.
I think I will divert the train to the right killing one person because one person is less important than five. Sometimes it is important to do what is right than what is morally good to do. The utilitarianism is a moral theory that gives happiness to the number of people in the society and it has been considered greatness, an action is morally appropriate if its outcomes lead to happiness and wrong if it results in sadness. I will begin by describing what Mill might do in the Trolley situation. Next, I will contrast what Kant might do in this situation and lastly, I will be also going to give my opinion on this Trolley situation.
Introduction: John Stuart Mill essay on Consideration On representative Government, is an argument for representative government. The ideal form of government in Mill's opinion. One of the more notable ideas Mill is that the business of government representatives is not to make legislation. Instead Mill suggests that representative bodies such as parliaments and senates are best suited to be places of public debate on the various opinions held by the population and to act as watchdogs of the professionals who create and administer laws and policy.
In Defense of Relativism Intro: The philosophical view of relativism states that the moral code of a culture is the product of the society’s upbringing and that there is no moral code that is superior to another moral code because of the drastically different culture each society possesses. Therefore, relativists believe it is intolerant of us to judge other cultural practices as unethical or wrong. Opponents of relativism argue that if relativism were to be accepted, our belief of moral progress would be called into question, as we can no longer compare one society to another. I support relativism and argue against the opposition’s argument by stating that moral progress indeed did occur, however, it occurred relative to the current moral code.
1. Utilitarianism states that the right action brings about the greatest good over evil (Mill). Similarly, Consequentialism judges the rightness or wrongness of an action based on the action’s consequences. The driving force for Utilitarianism focuses on maximizing rationality. Maximizing rationality states that it is rational to bring about the maximum amount of something when it is good and irrational not to (Mill).
Save the Poor or Be Free to Make Your Own Choices Utility is defined as an action that benefits the majority of society. Utilitarian John Stuart Mill, is someone who I have observed to determine this decision. Liberty is different in that it incorporates individual’s rights by allowing for people to do as they please and creating minimal state interference. The issue needs to be fixed on whether the government should intervene with a utilitarian perspective and help the poor. This would cause the lumber company to lose their individual freedoms.
John Stuart Mill, at the very beginning of chapter 2 entitled “what is utilitarianism”. starts off by explaining to the readers what utility is, Utility is defined as pleasure itself, and the absence of pain. This leads us to another name for utility which is the greatest happiness principle. Mill claims that “actions are right in proportions as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.” “By Happiness is intended pleasure and the absence of pain, by happiness, pain and the privation of pleasure”.
Let’s say there is a woman with no children who, based on her religious beliefs, does not seek medical care for herself, her family, or her friends. How would Mill response to her life and her philosophy?As Mill has insisted to give complete freedom, he would not blame her life at the first moment. However, he would ask about the reason behind her actions. Mill does not criticize, people having a religion and going into the religion in depth.
The utilitarian philosophers Jeremy Bentham and
“On Liberty” by John Stuart Mill is one of the foundations for discussion over the direction of society and role of individualism; his essay still holding sufficient weight to be an important point of reference today. In fact, Mills ideas still exist in modern society. Today society is dealing with abortion, the legalization of cannabis, or gun control. Mill views advocates for an individualistic message against tyranny.
Being Free 1st draft Freedom is word used in a lot of contexts, but the official meaning of the word is “the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants” (Freedom). Meaning that you have the right to do something, with the focus being on you as an individual. This means no one can tell you what to do, like for example a state. This is an important aspect and part of political theory. Liberty is also used and viewed as the same category of theory, and has the definition “The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s behavior or political views” (Liberty).
Manraj Deol Al Schendan Poli 5 De Anza College 10/22/15 Unit 1 Essay Experiments of Living John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty deals with Mill’s thought on the relationship between liberty and authority and how the authorities of society, customs/ traditions etc. can limit people’s individuality. On Liberty, especially Chapter 3 Of Individuality, as One of the Elements of Well-Being discusses the importance of individuality and not conforming to societal standards, eventhough society favors people who conform, yet we need freedom to support these so called “experiments of living”. I fall in with line with Mill’s opinion that we need to have “experiments of living” to see many different perspectives of life.