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Karl Marx, John Stuart Mill And Friedrich Nietzsche

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This essay will analysis what Karl Marx, John Stuart Mill and Friedrich Nietzsche believe about the individual under social and political conditions and what has influenced this development. By doing so, I will seek to address whether each person believed that the conditions of the individual development are ideal or if there needs to be change.
Within capitalist economy, the means of production are privately owned, for example a businessman owns the factory and as a result, members of the capitalist economy find themselves divided into two distinct classes. There are those who own the means of production, also known as the capitalist class or bourgeoisie, and the workers who do not, known as the proletariat. For Marx, whether capitalism is …show more content…

As the capitalist has control over the condition, commodities etc. the work can become repetitive and dangerous, which again is better suited to machines. The labour power of the worker has then also become a commodity to which the proletarians sell to capitalists which he must do in order to live. For example, the twelve hours he may work allows him to have a life when his work ceases, those twelve hours hold no other value to the worker other than in earnings. Therefore labour power has become a commodity that can be passed between owner to owner making the proletarian the commodity in himself. Furthermore, Marx believes that excellently doing what makes us distinctively human is the true source of fulfilment. The idea is that true fulfilment for human beings is from creative and meaningful work yet this not something accomplished by a capitalist society.
By contrast, John Stuart Mill argued that individuality is one the essentials of human well-being as we cannot achieve happiness without it and the problem of individual’s conformity is that the majority often impose their rules of conduct onto others. Mill refers to this as the “tyranny of the majority”, when individuals are subjected to the tyranny of popular opinion. Moreover, Mill believes that this tyranny is more formidable than many kinds of political oppression, so the question is where to find the balance between individual independence and …show more content…

Despite this, society does bind us to looking out for individual’s rights. Although these are not something discovered by the laws of nature as others have thought before him, they are simply determined by human convention through tacit understanding. Therefore, if an individual’s conduct were to affect another’s rights then society would have jurisdiction but if one’s actions do not, then they should be left to freedom, both legally and socially. With this in mind, Mill believed that leaving people to themselves will make them happier than forcing obedience of society’s morals, but does government have any legitimate role in helping individuals? Mill thought that government interference should be limited in order to reduce the unnecessary power that it would be given, giving assurance to individual rights and

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The object of this essay is to show a simple evaluation of john Stuart mill principle “an action is right that it does not cause harm to another person” I will be exercising both evaluations and explaining why the positive side outweighs the negative side of the principle, in a society that it’s people are emancipated to control their own opinions. Mill Stuart in his autobiography of 1873 he narrates liberty as a philosophic chronicle of indivisible accuracy. (Mill (1989.edn).p.189) rather than speaking of rights, many claim a ‘right’ not to be harmed ,mill says that only a harm or risk to harm is enough vindication for using power above someone else. John Stuart moreover he adequate his principle by reckoning that it is not good to use power

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In Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre grows up without any parental guidance. Living with her aunt’s family for her entire childhood, she often suffers exclusion and abuse because of her social status. As a child under such maltreatment, Jane learns how to speak up for herself against injustice and develops an assertive personality. After graduating from Lowood, she serves as a governess in Thornfield, where Mr. Rochester belittles her and acts insensitively towards her feelings. Instead of declaring her position in front of him, Jane becomes submissive and unconfident; however, her affections towards Mr. Rochester increase through their interactions, yet, she is hesitant to disclose her true feelings due to her own sense of insecurity.

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When I was reading the presentations, I became interested in John Stuart Mill’s view on personal liberty. Mill is best known for his focus on individual liberty and there has been a progression since the ancient theories of politics such as Hobbes and Locke. Each of the ancient theories was less authoritarian than the previous theory or less susceptible to tyranny. Many people have thought that if Locke proposed his idea then there will be no power except for the majority and tyranny was a major problem of the past. I have learned that Mill states that one of the most insidious forms of tyranny is the tyranny of the majority.

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Throughout Mill’s essay, he argues against the oppressive tyranny of the government in silencing the opinions of others. He warns that “there needs to be protection also against the tyrant of the prevailing opinion of feeling; against the tendency of society to impose… its own ideas on those who dissent from them” (Mill 9). Mill justifies this statement by explaining that limiting government interference in the life of the individual ensures the absence of despotism or, in other words, tyranny (Mill 9). From a political/philosophical standpoint, allowing individuals to speak freely affords others the ability to be challenged and through this one can eliminate falsehoods and discover the truth in society in ways that tyranny denies (Mill 19). Mill’s view on truth, social progress, and utility are fully in accordance with my own.

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If people have no place to voice their will or take part in deciding their own destiny, the community might grow disinterested and passive in their relationship with their government. Mill believes this is problematic for society because history, as he sees it, has shown that more democratic societies have more ‘energetic, and ‘developed’ societies as well as more ‘go ahead characters’ not seen in more totalitarian societies. Yet, this criticism might fail to cover a deeper problem of disinterest; it might lead to a level of moral deficiency as well. Mill fears that a loss of ability and activity, leads to a society losing its sense of communal responsibility and social justice. In their aloofness, people might be less inclined to believe that they have any responsibility to society since society has ceased to have any rights or purpose under absolute authority.

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