...Philosopher: John Stuart Mill Background According to John Stuart Mill, “Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservative.” John Stuart Mill was a philosopher that was born in 1806 in London, England to philosopher, John Stuart. At age 17, John Stuart Mill became a utilitarian, which means he believed in the doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority. At this point in his life he formed the utilitarian society. At the age of 24 he started to write articles and essays in support of women’s rights. At this point in his life Mill believed that women should have rights and equality but not necessarily be independent. Mill also shared his philosophy on women’s rights with Harriet Taylor. Harriet was married but she and John still shared a close relationship, that did become a social scandal at the time. When Harriet’s husband died, she and John wed in 1849. Mill who typically favored the secret ballot in elections, changed his politically viewpoint because of his wife’s strong belief in public voting for peoples fear of shamefulness. Mill became a strong believer in proportional representation based on reading a book of Thomas Hare’s on democracy. Over the next 15 years, after his wife Harriet died, he worked closely with his stepdaughter Helen, who cared for him as well as became his secretary. He wrote many books during this time, as well as continued...
Words: 989 - Pages: 4
...Catherine Chamberlain Grizli777 John stuart mill Catherine Chamberlain Grizli777 John stuart mill John Stuart Mill was born in London in 1806. In 1873 Mill wrote an autobiography gave great examples about his life and the education he had received. Mill was given this education by his father with the assistance of Jeremy Bentham and Francis Place (Mautner, 2014). Mill had learned to speak Greek by the age of three and then Latin a little later on. Mill was a competent logician by the age of twelve. At age sixteen he had already became a well-trained economist. Mill then suffered a nervous breakdown at the age of twenty and used this nervous breakdown to come to the realization he needed more in life than just devotion to the public good and an analytically sharp intellect (Mautner, 2014). As he had grown up a utilitarian, Mill now listened to Wordsworth, Goethe, and Coleridge to help cultivate his aesthetic sensibilities (Mautner, 2014). Mill wanted the British public to understand that there was a need for a scientific approach to understand the political, economic, and social change that was happening. In Mill’s autobiography he claims he introduced the word “utilitarian” to the English language when he was only sixteen. Mill had come into contact with the idea of utilitarian thought early on in life. In Mills writing of Utilitarianism (1861) he tries to justify the utilitarian principle as the foundation for morals (Schefczyk, 2014). The utilitarian...
Words: 884 - Pages: 4
...philosopher called Jeremy Bentham introduced this moral concept in the 18th and 19th century. The utilitarian’s describes utilitarianism, as “the actions are morally permissible if and only if they produce at least as much net happiness as any another available action”. Also, this paper we would explain the concepts by John Stuart Mill Theory on utilitarianism. History During the 18th century, there was a revolution in Europe that not only affected the industries, but also government regulations like liberty, equality and fraternity. The result of this revolution helped in creating new modernized Europe. This...
Words: 1498 - Pages: 6
...Philosopher Research Paper John Stuart Mill Prepared for Professor Sandra Gates Kaplan University Prepared by Lea Geckler November 1, 2011 INTRODUCTION This report discusses the history, theories, proof and weaknesses of John Stuart Mill ideals on Utilitarianism. Mill believes that if people participate in ethical actions it will create pleasure in life, and that is what most people want in life is pleasure not pain. Utilitarian’s believe the only things worth having are pleasurable experiences. Unfortunately not all experiences are pleasurable and they cause pain. Utilitarian’s define good and evil in terms of ethical and non-ethical consequences of pleasure and pain. (Brooks & Dunn, Chapter 3 pg.150) Simply stated do the ethical action and be rewarded with pleasure or do the unethical actions and be rewarded with pain, which can be physical or mental. Mill explains that pleasure and pain can be qualitative and quantitative for example; if you have a project and it time consuming, stressful and mentally exhausting this is the quantitative aspect but getting recognition from your manager or top management on a job well done is the qualitative aspect and that is the pleasure. HISTORYOF JOHN STUART MILL Mill was educated by his father and Jeremy Bentham, the founder of Utilitarianism in modern ethical thought (Encyclopedia of Ethics). He learned Greek at the age of three, Latin by the age of 8, a competent logician by the age of 12 and by age 16...
Words: 1252 - Pages: 6
...The philosopher that I have chosen is John Stuart Mill. John Stuart Mill was born on 20th May 1806 in London, to the British economist, historian and philosopher, James Mill and Harriet Burrow. Mill was a philosopher, political and economic theorist, naturalist, feminist, civil servant, scholar and an author. He was well-known as one of the most influential English philosopher of the nineteenth century. He was the eldest son and was educated by his strict father. Mill’s father was a supporter of Jeremy Bentham’s philosophy of utilitarianism and aimed to make his son a genius so that he would carry of Bentham's theory after both his and Bentham’s death. Therefore Mill’s father kept him very sheltered, away from children of his age and taught...
Words: 722 - Pages: 3
...John Stuart Mill was born on might twenty, 1806 in north London, the oldest of 9 youngsters. presently when his education, John followed his father into employment at the archipelago Company wherever he remained in leadership positions till the company's ending in 1858. Mill's early writings and contributions to philosophy were revealed in 2 newspapers, The human and also the Morning Chronicle, each emended by associates of his friends. the unconventional philosophical journal City of Westminster Review served as another stump for Mill and a method to any elaborate on his views. Mill's biography, completed right before his death that occurred in the year 1873, and this recounted the experiences he had with the London Debating Society, wherever...
Words: 722 - Pages: 3
...Utilitarianism beliefs have been around for a long time but it wasn’t called utilitarianism until the philosopher Jeremy Bentham. John Stuart Mill was a philosopher born in 1806 and in 1861 wrote People haven’t’ agreed on what is right and what is wrong so the point is to come up with a universal systematic way to determine whether or not something is ethical The first principle of utility, as Mill describes, is “pleasure and freedom from pain are the only tings desirable as ends” The second principle is about the greatest happiness. “Actions are right in proportion as they tend to produce happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse.” He also describes happiness as pleasure with the absence of pain and unhappiness as pain with the absence of pleasure -First Premise- Constantly chasing pleasure brings about bad things (addictions, disease, an unhealthy life, loss of friends due to selfishness. You become a slave to your pleasure) The first thing that I believe is wrong with this theory is that a person should not be constantly chasing pleasure -Second Premise- mob rule...
Words: 487 - Pages: 2
...Three questions were raised. (CITATION page 5) What is happiness? What is the morally right way to live or to act? What is the relation between happiness and morality? All three questions centered on Mill and his beliefs. Mill answers with “happiness is pleasure,” “the right way to act is to produce the greatest amount of happiness,” and finally “the individual’s happiness will be found in doing what is morally right.” Personally those all sound like great answers, but I argue with his answers. Happiness may be pleasure for some but that can be falsified because of not everyone thinking the same as Mill. For example a murderer could find pleasure in killing which, does not back up his way of thinking. A murderer may find it pleasurable and his/her way of happiness, but in reality that would be unacceptable and morally wrong. Besides that example you have those who believe that love is the key to happiness, while others find money the key to happiness, it all depends on who that person is, and why they think a certain item, or emotion will bring them...
Words: 1488 - Pages: 6
...In the chapters from Mill’s book, Utilitarianism, he writes about how people will be held accountable if they don't follow Utilitarianism and also what people are really looking for as an “ultimate ends”. One thought that the writes about is happiness as a way to an end. But what exactly is happiness and how do we measure it? We can’t scientifically measure happiness and it means different things to different people, but everybody has felt a sense of happiness at one point in their lives. I agree with Mills in that happiness can be broken down into parts and looked at from these different angles. Mills looks at happiness in a couple different ways that I found to be intriguing. One word he uses is “desire”. I agree that desire is a part...
Words: 527 - Pages: 3
...Review: Utilitarianism Mike Todd DR 38405-1 Worldview and Ethical Theory January 3, 2016 I. Introduction Mill, John Stuart, Utilitarianism, Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2001. 71 pages. ISBN: 0-87220-605-X. $6.00. John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), was the son of James Mill, colleague and fellow activist of Jeremy Bentham. Under his father’s direction, he studied in all the fields of his day, including Latin, Greek, and French, until at the age of twenty he experienced a breakdown which marked a turning point in his intellectual commitments. At that point, he began to reject the extreme rationalism with which he had grown up and to explore other avenues of philosophical thought. II. Synopsis Mill entitles...
Words: 1323 - Pages: 6
...John Stuart Mill holds that actions can only be judged as morally good based on the consequences it will have on the greater majority. That is, rather than maximize individual benefits in order to be considered morally good, actions of a utilitarian are only morally good if they maximize benefits for the greatest number. Benefits are defined as happiness minus pain. Individual rights may not count if they hinder the ability to maximize good for the majority. There is therefore a lack of full self-ownership of the benefits derived or arising from such actions. Individuals cannot also transfer the rights and benefits. Promotion of one’s own happiness and welfare and thus individual benefits ceases. Mill’s Greatest Happiness Principle therefore...
Words: 836 - Pages: 4
...the minds of many humans are the following questions: How does one achieve happiness? How can one make their pursuit of happiness less difficult? In John Stuart Mill's opinion, one should not pursue happiness at all. Mill has reported that he has found that "Those only are happy have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness." As a matter of fact, Mill believes that focusing on one's happiness will cause an individual to become unhappy, as supported by the quote "Ask yourself whether...
Words: 1152 - Pages: 5
...When it comes to telling the truth, both Mill and Kant have philosophies that are very different. John Stuart Mill believes that of all the possible actions you have open to you, you should chose the one that will do the greatest good for the greatest number, in other words, you should always chose the options that will make the most people happy. Mill said, “ the right action is the action that produces the greatest happiness” (Kaye). This was the theory that John Stuart Mill believe was the right thing to do. Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher that believed that you should always tell the truth no matter what, which is different that what Mill believes. For Kant, “the only thing that matters is that your mind on doing your duty; the results are not relevant” (Kaye). In other words, Kant believes that you should always tell the truth and...
Words: 669 - Pages: 3
...Douglas L. Kaye LS312: Ethics and the Legal Environment Unit 2 Prof. Craig July 16th, 2013 John Stuart Mill developed a systematic statement of utilitarian ethical theory, which is another ethical theory based on the consequences of actions. The application of this theory involves performing the action that produces the best results for the greatest number of people. Utilitarianism can be further reduced into two sub-categories, act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. Followers of act utilitarianism think that in each ethical situation, an individual should perform the action that produces the best results for the majority of people. Rule utilitarianism requires people to construct and follow an established set of rules that should guarantee the best possible outcome for the majority of the people. Critics of both utilitarianism positions argue that it is extremely difficult to determine future consequences for other people. Another problem of utilitarianism is cost benefit analysis. Essentially, in the quest to please the majority, at what point do the minority’s interest become expendable? Assigning value to individuals in this manner, and using them as a means to an end may not always be considered moral behavior in some situations or circumstances (Kemerling, 2011). In the Palm Beach Post this week was a news article titled, "Royal Palm Beach woman charged with opening fake account, stealing $6,000 from bank" which was about a 50-year-old woman, Anna Papa...
Words: 623 - Pages: 3
...Z5088638 University of New South Wales Introduction John Stuart Mill was an influential economic thinker and reformer, whose novel ideals of economic social proved to have a lasting impact on future reformative programs endowed in moral value. Mill’s economic contributions has been characterized into the classical system of economics: production, the distribution of goods, rents and wages, and the economic role of government, which leaves many to critique its practical implications to modern day issues like political corruption in Australia. Today’s political environment in Australia is pigeonholed by a lack of transparency in government contracting and enforcement of regulations, greedy politicians extorting taxpayer money, and power of lobbyists on influencing government policy. Though these concepts were of no concern during Mill’s life, the fundamental theme of institutional power and constraints on societal development can be utilized to weave abstract thinking into realistic interpretations. Thus, the aim of this paper is to ascertain the extent to which Mill’s 19th century economic ideas can be applied to issues of political corruption in 21st century Australia and possible reform. The Economic Philosophy of John Stuart Mill J.S. Mill was born in 1806 in Pentonville, France. He was the eldest son of James Mill, who was a major constituent of Jeremy Bentham’s radical utilitarianism (Wilson, 2014). James Mill was a significant influence on J.S. Mill’s economic theory...
Words: 2460 - Pages: 10
