...John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty and Same-Sex Marriage Legalization There has been a significant amount of controversy in the past few years leading up to the current regarding the issue of legalizing same-sex marriage in the United States. In the recent election, many states have voted in favor of the legalization of same-sex marriage. However, there has been little movement towards legalization on the federal level. Earlier this year, President Obama made the statement supporting the idea that same-sex marriage should be legal. Thus, making a statement on one of the most vexed, and politically charged social issues being faced in the United States presently. Obama made this statement knowing that in a few months he would be announcing his campaign for reelection, and thus received fierce opposition from many groups as well as his Republican opponent in his race for reelection. My personal stance on this issue is that without a doubt, same-sex marriage should be legalized. In the process of legalization, it would give every American citizen regardless of sexual orientation the ability to marry and their union to be recognized on the federal level. Many individuals might argue that this would degrade the sanctity of marriage, but with the percentage of marriages ending in divorce or otherwise that argument can hardly be supported. Another opposition that is brought up repeatedly is that the Bible and other religious scriptures do not speak in support of same-sex marriage and...
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...Assignment 4: Free Markets: Classical Economic Definitions & Perspectives Professor Marlo Chavarria 201420 Spring 2014 ECON 350-D02 LUO Cameron L. Atkinson Student-Liberty University Online Abstract This essay examines the concept of a free market and the various interpretations of classical economists. The author begins by defining a free market from a classical perspective. He then proceeds to examine the interpretation of David Ricardo, which leaned somewhat to laissez-faire economics, the interpretation of John Stuart Mill, which was complex and indecisive, and the interpretation of Karl Marx, which argued against the concept of a free market. The essay concludes by discussing the complexity of the debate and the unanswered questions it still presents to modern economists. Keywords: free market, free market system, David Ricardo, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx Introduction The majority of classical economists based their work on the concept of a free market system (Sowell, 2006). However, they often had varying interpretations of a free market. These different perspectives have led to confusion about the true definition of a free market. This essay will first define a free market from a classical perspective and then examine David Ricardo’s, John Stuart Mill’s, and Karl Marx’s interpretations of a free market. Their views compose the three major schools of classical economic thought regarding a free market, and they have shaped the way society views free markets today...
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...On John Stuart Mill’s production On Liberty has not only became one of the most widely known political and philosophical writing, but also produces one of the fundamental political questions on finding the balance in between liberty, democracy and authority. Although Mill’s writing was deeply influenced by Bentham’s Utilitarianism philosophy, Mill’s theory in On Liberty emphasized more around the value of individuality, equality and liberty (Donner, 1991; Skorupski, 1998). All three elements focused on by Mill, are closely connected in democratic society, Mill’s major fear was the emergence of dictatorship based on majoritarian and conformist behavior within a society (Skorupski, 2006). This essay will focus on examining Mill’s liberal ideas within On Liberty, his concept on the limitation of government’s authority, and will also suggest possible conditions where Mill’s ideas may apply in modern society. Liberty and authority are two factors that are constantly conflict. Liberty could not only mean the working of self-government and individuality, but also mean the right of freedom. Similarly, if a democratic society is lack of individuality; it could means the lack of freedom as well as the lack of what makes human. On the contrary, Skorupski (2006: p40) pointed out: “liberty meant ‘protection against the tyranny of political rulers’.” Indeed, limiting state’s authority could means preserving individuals’ rights, yet, at the same time society must give government enough power...
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...Name Professor Course Date Why does Mills think that Utilitarianism provides the foundation for Justice and why does Rawls reject it? Introduction The concept of utilitarianism is one that has engulfed the philosophical arena with an obscene number of arguments that support and/or criticize it. Generally, utilitarianism is a theory in normative ethics that defines an action as one that ensures maximum utility. Other schools of thought would like to put it as the concept of “maximizing happiness while reducing suffering” (Mills 3).In as much as utilitarianism has continued to receive applause from people and the political scene, other divergent scholars has come up with other theories that seek to compromise the philosophies under which the concept of utilitarianism operates. As a result, utilitarianism has become subject to contradictions from other theories in the field of ethics. The thinking class in other fields of utilitarianism characterizes in as a quantitative yet reductionist approach to ethics (Mills 3). Over time, the concept of utilitarianism has received ideological threats from; deontological ethics which does not assign moral worth to an action based on its consequences, virtue ethics that solely deals with action and habits that results to happiness, pragmatic ethics and other forms of ethics that backs the idea of consequentialism. In a nut shell, the concept of utilitarianism as defined by political philosophers and in relation to justice is becoming...
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...Are You Happy? According to John Stuart Mill, what does it mean to act rightly or be good? Mill states how people are inclined to act rather than how they should act. He states in his essay written in 1861, Utilitarianism, “actions are right in proportion 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 unhappiness, pain and the privation of pleasure.” Mill proves by this statement that we act in a certain way because of the greatest happiness principle; however, I am not convinced that is the way that people should act or the best way to live a moral life. Mill believes that people act the way that they do for the sake of happiness. It is even good to cause pain to a small group of people if the result promotes happiness for a larger group. According to Mill, this is the greatest happiness principle because the actions are not based on the feelings of happiness of one but the happiness of the greatest number. I disagree with Mill’s greatest happiness principle because this is not the way that people should act. I agree that people tend to act that way; however that is not the moral way that people should behave. There is no rational connection between happiness and morality. The simple truth of the matter is that a behavior or action that makes a person happy is not sufficient in establishing that the behavior or action is morally accurate. Just because something makes one...
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...Edgar Venegas November 25, 2014 Philosophy 310 Professor Schubert Final Essay High school students are not learning and passing a course due to how the teaching material is organized. Teachers follow and teach their material to students by following what the book says. Due to the fact, that students learn exactly what is taught from the book, their teachers believe the student is capable of answering their own questions based off the book. Furthermore causing the student to score poorly in that class, due to not teaching the student personally and effective. In my point, I believe teachers need to stop relying on the students to learn by themselves using the book, and change their teaching material by personally teaching the student based on the teachers knowledge of the material. Given this argument, I will introduce a pro and con statement that will provide two different standpoints about my argument. After proving both pro and con statements, I will provide how John Stuart Mill will choose either statement by using his moral perspective theory. As a pro statement, teachers who teach their students the correct material upon their own knowledge, without consulting a book as guidance in their class, will have successful passing students. Most high school teachers who have received degrees don’t teach students upon themselves, but depend on book. Unfortunately, when a student needs help, they have to consult to the book, and rely on the practice problems the book provides...
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...liberty according to J.S.Mill? Do you agree? Stefan Stefanov NBU John Stuart Mill was known as an economist, philosopher and influential contributor to social and political theory. He was famous for his writing on individual liberty and utilitarianism. He believed individual liberty is essential in evolving society as well as unleashing the truth. Mill’s ideas stretched to governing every aspect of human liberty promoting change, innovation, and the development of societies, his arguments can be easily used in any dispute over rights and freedoms. His greatest concern was that society will morph into a “collective norm” where human innovation would not exist. Although his notions became problematic he was still able to clarify the benefits that came with individual liberty. Mainly, Mill’s emphasis the abolishment of tyranny whether politically or socially while promoting a simplistic yet effective view on social growth and individual liberty. He was a very radical politician for his time. He once proposed in parliament that women should have the right to vote just as man. The vote did not pass and actually he was made fun for his absurd proposition. It went so far as to speculate with his sexual orientation since only “such a person could have these strange ideas”. Mill however did not approve of the movement for universal suffrage and did not believed that a woman should be completely independent. In his essay “On Liberty” explains his thoughts on the subject. There searches...
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...liberals claim that they are simply adapting and building on classical liberalist ideas. This essay will discuss the extent to which modern liberalism departs from classical liberalisms by analysing approaches to the size of the state, democracy and the concept of freedom and aims to justify the argument that modern liberalism departs considerably from classical liberalism. Modern liberalism departs from the ideas of classical liberalism with regards to the concept of freedom, although the extent of difference is limited. Isiah Berlin first discussed the concept of freedom in an essay published in 1958. Berlin proposed two concepts of liberty; positive, which is supported by modern liberalists, and negative, which is supported by classical liberals. The classical conception of negative liberty suggests that society is best when there is an absence of external restrictions or constraints on the individual. Therefore, classical liberals strongly supported full individual freedom. John Stuart Mill, a political philosopher known as the ‘father of classical liberalism’ argued that the government is controlling the actions of individuals for no reason. He therefore developed a theory of ‘true freedom’ based on the complete absence of constraint and therefore he supports Berlin’s concept of negative liberty. Further classical liberals who argued for the theory of negative liberty include John Locke and Jeremy Bentham....
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...Kant’s Ethics of Duty CHAPTER1: BACKGROUND Kant's ethics of duty holds that only a rational being could have a moral duty because only a rational being could envision something beyond what he wants in the moment to satisfy himself or to do harm to others. Only a rational being could conceive of an ethical duty to act according to the consideration that all other human beings would act in the same way. No animal or irrational human being could conceive of such a concept, such a duty, such a way of life. The rationality required for moral duty leads the individual to recognize that "the moral worth of an action does not lie in the effect expected from it, nor in any principle of action which requires to borrow its motive from this expected effect" (Timmons 156). Only reason will act according to the worth of an action in and of itself, without consideration for the gain or loss of any effect. CHAPTER 2: THEORY The categorical imperative holds that "I am never to act otherwise than so that I could also will that my maxim should become a universal law" (Timmons 156). Kant allows no exceptions to this imperative. He apparently believes that once one brick is taken out of the wall--say, a justifiable lie or false promise is told because of the gains won or losses avoided--then the whole wall is in danger of immediately collapsing. This makes the moral duty "imperative" for him. It is not a matter of what is "prudent," for example, in the case of telling a lie to bring a...
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...There's plenty of other useful material on this site - case studies, handouts, powerpoints and summaries, and also I have written a number of books including best-selling revision guides and a useful book on 'How to Write Philosophy Essays". Click here for details. If you're worried about exams you might at least print out my strengths and weaknesses summaries under each moral theory. I deliberately quote only from my five favourite ethics books, click here to find out which they are - because you might like to buy one of them to supplement your study. Of course, it's important to quote the philosophers themselves in their own words - see my handouts, or for what academics say about them - see the key quotes section under the topic area of each moral theory. And if you'd like to blog on anything in the news send it to me - I'd be delighted to read it and - if it fulfils the criterion of good ethical thinking (!), post it!!!!! Utilitarianism is a normative, consequentialist, empirical philosophy which links the idea of a good action to one which promotes maximum pleasure or happiness, found by adding up costs and benefits (or pains and pleasures). It has two classic formulations - Bentham's hedonistic (pleasure-based) act utilitarianism and Mill's eudaimonistic (happiness-based) rule utilitarianism. In this article we make some preliminary comments on Bentham and Mill before analysing a famous case in 1972 where utilitarian ethics seemed to cause a very immoral outcome - the...
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...Critical Analysis #2 – Article Critique Brent Melnyk Ethical Fundamentals – JRSB311 Wes Sallenback February 5, 2013 Sarah O’Donnell, on May 11, 2009, wrote an article for the Edmonton Journal entitled, 'No-zero' policy gives students a do-over; Deadlines in the adult world often just as flexible. She describes the Edmonton Public Schools policy of “No-Zero” and allows for both sides of a touchy subject to be heard. On June 1, 2012, Edgar Schmidt, the superintendent for Edmonton Public Schools, penned an open letter to the citizens of Alberta. He wrote “In order for students to be successful in school and in life, they need the knowledge, skills and attitudes to make a smooth transition into the world of work and post secondary education. By taking an all or nothing approach to a missed assignment, we are not doing our job as educators to prepare all students, including those who face significant challenges, to take the next step in their educational journey as a lifelong learner.” (Schmidt, 2012, Para 6.) Schmidt (2012) also said, “The reason we assign a certain grade is to give a student feedback on what they have learned. If a student writes a test and gets all the answers wrong, they are assigned a zero on that test. This tells the teacher the student does not know the material and needs extra support. The mark is then put in the context of all their other learning that takes place during the year. If, by the end of the year, the student...
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...Terms: Pluralism- existence of different groups within society: the existence of groups with different ethnic, religious, or political backgrounds within one society SOCIOLOGY social policy and theory: the policy or theory that minority groups within a society should maintain cultural differences, but share overall political and economic power Tyranny- A government in which a single ruler is vested with absolute power. arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority. Absolutism – political system: a political system in which the power of a ruler is unchecked and absolute theory of objective values: a philosophical theory in which values such as truth or morality are absolute and not conditional upon human perception something absolute: a standard, principle, or theory that is absolute Utilitarianism: ethical doctrine of greatest good: the ethical doctrine that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the criterion of the virtue of action doctrine based on value of usefulness: the doctrine that the value of an action or an object lies in usefulness utilitarian quality: the quality of being designed primarily for practical use rather than beauty Libertarianism: advocate of individual responsibility: somebody who believes in the doctrine of free will advocate of individual freedom: somebody who believes in the principle that people should have complete freedom of thought and action Categorical Imperative: Kantian...
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...AS Philosophy & Ethics Course Handbook 2013 to 2014 [pic] OCR AS Level Religious Studies (H172) http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/type/gce/hss/rs/index.aspx OCR AS Level Religious Studies (H172) You are studying Philosophy of Religion and Religious Ethics and will be awarded an OCR AS Level in Religious Studies. The modules and their weightings are: |AS: |Unit Code |Unit Title |% of AS |(% of A Level) | | |G571 |AS Philosophy of Religion |50% |(25%) | | |G572 |AS Religious Ethics |50% |(25%) | If you decide to study for the full A Level you will have to study the following modules at A2: |A2: |Unit Code |Unit Title |(% of A Level) | | |G581 |A2 Philosophy of Religion |(25%) | | |G582 |A2 Religious Ethics |(25%) | Grading | ...
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...Week One – Three theories of ethics From early childhood on, we live in a world of choices, actions and consequences. Some acts make us happy, others sad, some guilty, others proud, and many actions just get us through the day. We observe other people and experience feelings of empathy, sympathy, envy, embarrassment, censure. We judge (or “think about”) the actions of ourselves and others according to criteria gathered over time from family, friends, mentors and society at large. Philosophers stand outside this “circle of living,” to observe the hows and whys of what we do and become who we are, and try to interpret that. So do artists, poets and novelists. But philosophers choose to situate individual beings and their actions within larger theoretical settings, called principles. They search for the defining principles that guide our actions, and for general descriptions that will explain the way things are and what they mean. This effort is to help us both understand ourselves better and act better. As philosophers have considered human experience, three fundamental areas have been elicited: How and what we know, think or understand ------> theory What we create, produce or make -------> arts How we act, what we do or should do -------> practice The third strand will be the focus of our exploration in this seminar: How should we act? What should we be, or become? This debate is known as...
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...“Evaluate the extent to which Freud’s theory of psychosexual development can help us to understand a client’s presenting issue” In this essay I am asked to evaluate one aspect of Freudian theory. I will begin by first describing Freud’s psychosexual theory and demonstrate an understanding of its relationship to adult neurotic behavior. Having done this I will examine some of the criticisms that have been levelled at Freudian theory in order to evaluate it. In 1905 Freud published ‘Three Essays on the theory of Sexuality and other Works’, one of these essays was titled ‘Infantile Sexuality’. In this essay Freud sets out his theory of psychosexual development. He asserts that there is in all humans an innate drive (or instinct>another theory to be debated) for pleasure, a sort of psychic energy, which he calls the libido and this energy needs to be discharged. He then goes on to describe how this drive finds outlet at the earliest stages in life, as babies, toddlers and infants and describes the oral, anal and phallic stages and the psychological effects of fixation at these stages. It is important to note that Freud separated sexual aims and objectives. What Freud meant by sexual in his own writing in German, was ‘life force’ or ‘emotional energy’ (Bettelheim 1983). While this concept has a sexual aspect to it, it is unfortunate that the English translation focuses mainly on this aspect. His work on sexuality and perversions led to the wider theory of sexuality whereby he differentiated...
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