what is the philosophy of john stuart mill?

Question

i have a term paper to write.. and i need a philosopher and i need to relate his philosophy to any social issue/problem like poverty, corruption, etc.. i chose john stuart mill but i think i dont understand his philosophy thoroughly.. can anybody summarize his major ideas? please please please use simple tems and grammar.. reading mill's philosophy on the internet got my nose bleeding.. just think of the reader as a poor 16 year old forced to understand these things against his will.. and im filipino so i dont even speak or understand english that good.. please please help me out.. also if anyone could suggest a social problem i can relate his philosophy to?? a million thanks to everybody who'd help.. waaaaaaaaah.. i only have three weeks.. oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!! what am i gonna do ohmygodasdfadasdasasdasfav

Answer 1

Mill's On Liberty is one of the founding texts of liberalism and one of the most important treatises ever written on the concept of liberty. The book explores the nature and limits of the power that can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual. One argument that Mill develops further than any previous philosopher is the harm principle. The harm principle holds that each individual has the right to act as he wants, so long as these actions do not harm others. If the action is self-regarding, that is, if it only directly affects the person undertaking the action, then society has no right to intervene, even if it feels the actor is harming himself. Mill excuses those who are "incapable of self-government" from this principle, such as young children or those living in “backward states of society". It is important to emphasise that Mill did not consider giving offence to constitute “harm”; an action could not be restricted because it violated the conventions or morals of a given society.

On Liberty involves an impassioned defence of free speech. Mill argues that free discourse is a necessary condition for intellectual and social progress. We can never be sure, he contends, if a silenced opinion does not contain some element of the truth. He also argues that allowing people to air false opinions is productive for two reasons. First, individuals are more likely to abandon erroneous beliefs if they are engaged in an open exchange of ideas. Second, by forcing other individuals to re-examine and re-affirm their beliefs in the process of debate, these beliefs are kept from declining into mere dogma. It is not enough for Mill that one simply has an unexamined belief that happens to be true; one must understand why the belief in question is the true one.

Answer 2

Perhaps the most widely held ethical doctrine in the Western world today, utilitarianism had its forerunners throughout philosophical history, but it came into concrete form during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The philosopher John Stuart Mill (1806-73) said it best: "Utility or the Greatest Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. ..

Answer 3

Mill is complex, but a rather interesting choice for your subject matter. Mill is the author of a metaphysical approach we refer to as Utilitarianism. Simply put, Utilitarianism claims that One should not concern himself/herself with the actions of others if those actions are not related to the interests of the individual in question.

There are times when Mill has been accused of being an isolationist, but I prefer to think of Mill as an individualist, because he did not discard those individuals who had ideas that were valid, and necessary to continue his lifestyle.

Answer 4

i don't understand approximately JSMill yet until you take care of others unequally, you may't artwork for an organization, can not have workers, can not make the main a products or services with the aid of promoting at income and can't spend money to make your self equivalent to others. Being unequal is the top motivator for me to realize order that i will grow to be one in all "them" So , in simple terms unequality can create wealth. Equality will create mediocrity, sharing of materials with out attempt or motivation

Answer 5

He was a believer in free will.