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With Introductions And Notes. ... Read more

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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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The great defender of individual liberty
John Stuart Mill, 1806-73, worked for the East India Co. helped run Colonial India from England.Minister of Parliament 1865-68 he served one term.Maiden speech was a disaster his second was great success.He was first MP to propose that women should be given the vote on equal footing with the men who could vote.He got 1/3 support, England gives franchise to women after U.S.He was a great Feminist, his essay "Subjection of Women" is written with great passion and prose.It was a brave position for him to take he was ridiculed for it.He favored democracy, and letting more men from lower classes the right to vote, but believed that people that are more educated should have more votes then less educated because they would make better decisions about what government should do.He would have wanted to extend education to the masses, so that all may have gotten 2-3 votes and so on.He didn't think it should be extended to where a small elite could carry the day on votes.The idea was that if the working class, and middle class, where divided on an issue, the people with more intelligence would have the power to tip the balance.Mill thought that people with more education would probably not only be better able to make political decisions, especially in terms of intellectually being able to see what would be best for the government to do, but that they would also be more concerned about the common good publicly then people in general.He was intensely educated by his father James.John could read Greek, and Latin at 6 yrs.; his Dad tutored him at home.Dad thought environment was everything.He was treated like an adult, never played games with kids; he had a very cerebral upbringing.He had a period of depression in his twenties, it changed his philosophy, and he recognized the importance of developing feelings along with the intellect, this is something that he stressed in his work.He read poetry to get out of depression; he became devoted to poetry and became a romantic.He fell in love with a married woman Harriet Taylor, was a platonic relationship, after her husband's death they married 3 years later and probably never consummated the marriage maybe due to his having syphilis.His dedication to "On Liberty" is to her, very devoted to each other.Both buried together in Avignon France where they used to vacation.

Mill as a moral theorist subscribed to a theory we call Utilitarianism.It means---In some way morality is about the maximization of happiness.Whether actions are right or wrong depends on how happiness can be most effectively maximized.I say in some way, because there are allot of different kinds of Utilitarians.Allot of different ways of saying exactly how it is the maximization of happiness comes into morality.Therefore, happiness is clearly an important idea for Utilitarians.Mill has a hedonistic view of happiness, he thinks that happiness can be defined in terms of "pleasure in the absence of pain."What is distinctive about Mill in this area is that he believes that some kinds of pleasure are better than others are, and add more to a person's happiness than other kinds of pleasures.He believes in what he calls, "higher quality pleasures."These are pleasures, he says, that we get from the exercise of faculties that only human beings happen to have.So the intellect, imagination, the moral feelings, these are the sources of higher quality pleasures people use.His view seems to be that a certain quantity of intellectual pleasure just adds more to your happiness, and a given quantity of some lower pleasure like a kind we would share with the animals such as sensation, taste, sexual pleasure, etc.His "higher quality pleasures" in a way echo Aristotle's ethics.The idea of those things that make us distinctly human that are the real key to our happiness, that is in Mill also.It is not as limited to reason and intellect as Aristotle thinks.Mill recognizes the importance of the appreciation of beauty, aesthetic pleasure, and moral pleasure.He frankly owes a debt to Aristotle that he never properly acknowledges, never gives him proper credit.

"On Liberty" is Mill's is his most widely read and enduring work.It is an indispensable essay on political thought, which strenuously argues for individual liberty.He is defending what he calls the "liberty principle."It is a principle that guarantees individuals quite a bit of personal freedom."That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant."These quoted sentences in John Stuart Mill's book, "On Liberty," embody the crux of his argument; that the power of the state must intrude as little as possible on the liberty of its citizenry.In essence, Mill was against using the power of the state through its lawmaking apparatus to compel citizens to conduct themselves in ways that society deems moral or appropriate.Mill thought that people had not only a right, but also a duty to develop their intellectual faculties, which is indispensable to maximize their happiness.He believed that society improved for all its citizens when they where left unfettered to the maximum extent possible, allowing them to use their imagination and intellect to improve themselves.Mill postulates a theory that societies usually institute laws based primarily on "personal preference" of its citizenry instead of established principles.This lack of clarity of opinion often leads to the government frequently interfering in the lives of its citizens unnecessarily.For Mill, there are very few times when the state can infringe on the personal liberty of others.Firstly, the state has the right to promulgate laws that prevent a person's actions from harming others.Secondly, the state must protect those citizens who are not mature enough to protect themselves, such as children.Thirdly, he exempts, "... backward states of society in which the race itself may be considered as in its nonage."In Mill's view, immature societies need a benevolent leader to rule them until they have developed to a point where they, "... have attained the capacity of being guided to their own improvement by conviction or persuasion ..."Mill said this third exemption did not apply to any of the countries in Europe.Mill believed that forced morality by the state on its citizen's liberties was destructive to their inward development, and could even lead to a violent reaction by them against the government.


There are different parts of his defense of this, different arguments that he gives.He has a long chapter on freedom of speech and press.He has some very specific reasons why he thinks those freedoms are important.Always in the background for Mill is the idea of development, and making it possible for more people to enjoy these higher quality pleasures.How do we help people develop their distinctly human faculties, in ways that will help them enjoy their higher quality pleasures?Because for him that is the way, we maximize the total amount of happiness that is enjoyed in the world, and that is the object of morality as far as he is concerned.Utilitarianists believe that maximizing happiness is ultimately, what morality is all about.That does not mean maximizing your own happiness that means maximizing the total amount of happiness that is enjoyed, not only by yourself but also by everybody else as well.

Roger Kimball, in his book "Experiments Against Reality" wrote, "On Liberty" was published in 1859, coincidentally the same year as "On the Origin of Species."Darwin's book has been credited--and blamed--for all manner of moral and religious mischief.But in the long run "On Liberty" may have effected an even greater revolution in sentiment.

I read this book for a graduate class in Philosophy.Recommended reading for anyone interested in philosophy, political science, and history.
... Read more

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From Content:"It seems proper that I should prefix to the following biographical sketch,some mention of the reasons which have made me think it desirable that I shouldleave behind me such a memorial of so uneventful a life as mine. I do not for amoment imagine that any part of what I have to relate can be interesting to thepublic as a narrative, or as being connected with myself. But I have thoughtthat in an age in which education, and its improvement, are the subject of more,if not of profounder study than at any former period of English history, it maybe useful that there should be some record of an education which was unusual andremarkable, and which, whatever else it may have done, has proved how much morethan is commonly supposed may be taught, and well taught, in those early yearswhich, in the common modes of what is called instruction, are little better thanwasted. It has also seemed to me that in an age of transition in opinions, theremay be somewhat both of interest and of benefit in noting the successive phasesof any mind which was always pressing forward, equally ready to learn and tounlearn either from its own thoughts or from those of others. But a motive whichweighs more with me than either of these, is a desire to make acknowledgment ofthe debts which my intellectual and moral development owes to other persons;some of them of recognized eminence, others less known than they deserve to be,and the one to whom most of all is due, one whom the world had no opportunity ofknowing." ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Principles of Political Economy (1848) by John Stuart Mill was the most important economicsor political economy textbook of the mid nineteenth century. It was revised until its seventh edition in 1871, shortly before Mill's death in 1873, and republished in numerous other editions. -- from Wikipedia ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The great defender of individual liberty
John Stuart Mill, 1806-73, worked for the East India Co. helped run Colonial India from England.Minister of Parliament 1865-68 he served one term.Maiden speech was a disaster his second was great success.He was first MP to propose that women should be given the vote on equal footing with the men who could vote.He got 1/3 support, England gives franchise to women after U.S.He was a great Feminist, his essay "Subjection of Women" is written with great passion and prose.It was a brave position for him to take he was ridiculed for it.He favored democracy, and letting more men from lower classes the right to vote, but believed that people that are more educated should have more votes then less educated because they would make better decisions about what government should do.He would have wanted to extend education to the masses, so that all may have gotten 2-3 votes and so on.He didn't think it should be extended to where a small elite could carry the day on votes.The idea was that if the working class, and middle class, where divided on an issue, the people with more intelligence would have the power to tip the balance.Mill thought that people with more education would probably not only be better able to make political decisions, especially in terms of intellectually being able to see what would be best for the government to do, but that they would also be more concerned about the common good publicly then people in general.He was intensely educated by his father James.John could read Greek, and Latin at 6 yrs.; his Dad tutored him at home.Dad thought environment was everything.He was treated like an adult, never played games with kids; he had a very cerebral upbringing.He had a period of depression in his twenties, it changed his philosophy, and he recognized the importance of developing feelings along with the intellect, this is something that he stressed in his work.He read poetry to get out of depression; he became devoted to poetry and became a romantic.He fell in love with a married woman Harriet Taylor, was a platonic relationship, after her husband's death they married 3 years later and probably never consummated the marriage maybe due to his having syphilis.His dedication to "On Liberty" is to her, very devoted to each other.Both buried together in Avignon France where they used to vacation.

Mill as a moral theorist subscribed to a theory we call Utilitarianism.It means---In some way morality is about the maximization of happiness.Whether actions are right or wrong depends on how happiness can be most effectively maximized.I say in some way, because there are allot of different kinds of Utilitarians.Allot of different ways of saying exactly how it is the maximization of happiness comes into morality.Therefore, happiness is clearly an important idea for Utilitarians.Mill has a hedonistic view of happiness, he thinks that happiness can be defined in terms of "pleasure in the absence of pain."What is distinctive about Mill in this area is that he believes that some kinds of pleasure are better than others are, and add more to a person's happiness than other kinds of pleasures.He believes in what he calls, "higher quality pleasures."These are pleasures, he says, that we get from the exercise of faculties that only human beings happen to have.So the intellect, imagination, the moral feelings, these are the sources of higher quality pleasures people use.His view seems to be that a certain quantity of intellectual pleasure just adds more to your happiness, and a given quantity of some lower pleasure like a kind we would share with the animals such as sensation, taste, sexual pleasure, etc.His "higher quality pleasures" in a way echo Aristotle's ethics.The idea of those things that make us distinctly human that are the real key to our happiness, that is in Mill also.It is not as limited to reason and intellect as Aristotle thinks.Mill recognizes the importance of the appreciation of beauty, aesthetic pleasure, and moral pleasure.He frankly owes a debt to Aristotle that he never properly acknowledges, never gives him proper credit.

"On Liberty" is Mill's is his most widely read and enduring work.It is an indispensable essay on political thought, which strenuously argues for individual liberty.He is defending what he calls the "liberty principle."It is a principle that guarantees individuals quite a bit of personal freedom."That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant."These quoted sentences in John Stuart Mill's book, "On Liberty," embody the crux of his argument; that the power of the state must intrude as little as possible on the liberty of its citizenry.In essence, Mill was against using the power of the state through its lawmaking apparatus to compel citizens to conduct themselves in ways that society deems moral or appropriate.Mill thought that people had not only a right, but also a duty to develop their intellectual faculties, which is indispensable to maximize their happiness.He believed that society improved for all its citizens when they where left unfettered to the maximum extent possible, allowing them to use their imagination and intellect to improve themselves.Mill postulates a theory that societies usually institute laws based primarily on "personal preference" of its citizenry instead of established principles.This lack of clarity of opinion often leads to the government frequently interfering in the lives of its citizens unnecessarily.For Mill, there are very few times when the state can infringe on the personal liberty of others.Firstly, the state has the right to promulgate laws that prevent a person's actions from harming others.Secondly, the state must protect those citizens who are not mature enough to protect themselves, such as children.Thirdly, he exempts, "... backward states of society in which the race itself may be considered as in its nonage."In Mill's view, immature societies need a benevolent leader to rule them until they have developed to a point where they, "... have attained the capacity of being guided to their own improvement by conviction or persuasion ..."Mill said this third exemption did not apply to any of the countries in Europe.Mill believed that forced morality by the state on its citizen's liberties was destructive to their inward development, and could even lead to a violent reaction by them against the government.


There are different parts of his defense of this, different arguments that he gives.He has a long chapter on freedom of speech and press.He has some very specific reasons why he thinks those freedoms are important.Always in the background for Mill is the idea of development, and making it possible for more people to enjoy these higher quality pleasures.How do we help people develop their distinctly human faculties, in ways that will help them enjoy their higher quality pleasures?Because for him that is the way, we maximize the total amount of happiness that is enjoyed in the world, and that is the object of morality as far as he is concerned.Utilitarianists believe that maximizing happiness is ultimately, what morality is all about.That does not mean maximizing your own happiness that means maximizing the total amount of happiness that is enjoyed, not only by yourself but also by everybody else as well.

Roger Kimball, in his book "Experiments Against Reality" wrote, "On Liberty" was published in 1859, coincidentally the same year as "On the Origin of Species."Darwin's book has been credited--and blamed--for all manner of moral and religious mischief.But in the long run "On Liberty" may have effected an even greater revolution in sentiment.

I read this book for a graduate class in Philosophy.Recommended reading for anyone interested in philosophy, political science, and history.
... Read more

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This is an electronic edition of the complete book complemented by author biography. This book features the table of contents linked to every chapter and footnote. The book was designed for optimal navigation on the Kindle, PDA, Smartphone, and other electronic readers. It is formatted to display on all electronic devices including the Kindle, Smartphones and other Mobile Devices with a small display.

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All speculations concerning forms of government bear the impress, more or less exclusive, of two conflicting theories respecting political institutions; or, to speak more properly, conflicting conceptions of what political institutions are.

By some minds, government is conceived as strictly a practical art, giving rise to no questions but those of means and an end. Forms of government are assimilated to any other expedients for the attainment of human objects. They are regarded as wholly an affair of invention and contrivance. Being made by man, it is assumed that man has the choice either to make them or not, and how or on what pattern they shall be made. Government, according to this conception, is a problem, to be worked like any other question of business. The first step is to define the purposes which governments are required to promote. The next, is to inquire what form of government is best fitted to fulfill those purposes. Having satisfied ourselves on these two points, and ascertained the form of government which combines the greatest amount of good with the least of evil, what further remains is to obtain the concurrence of our countrymen, or those for whom the institutions are intended, in the opinion which we have privately arrived at. To find the best form of government; to persuade others that it is the best; and, having done so, to stir them up to insist on having it, is the order of ideas in the minds of those who adopt this view of political philosophy. They look upon a constitution in the same light (difference of scale being allowed for) as they would upon a steam plow, or a threshing machine.

To these stand opposed another kind of political reasoners, who are so far from assimilating a form of government to a machine, that they regard it as a sort of spontaneous product, and the science of government as a branch (so to speak) of natural history. According to them, forms of government are not a matter of choice. We must take them, in the main, as we find them. Governments can not be constructed by premeditated design. They "are not made, but grow." Our business with them, as with the other facts of the universe, is to acquaint ourselves with their natural properties, and adapt ourselves to them. The fundamental political institutions of a people are considered by this school as a sort of organic growth from the nature and life of that people; a product of their habits, instincts, and unconscious wants and desires, scarcely at all of their deliberate purposes. Their will has had no part in the matter but that of meeting the necessities of the moment by the contrivances of the moment, which contrivances, if in sufficient conformity to the national feelings and character, commonly last, and, by successive aggregation, constitute a polity suited to the people who possess it, but which it would be vain to attempt to superinduce upon any people whose nature and circumstances had not spontaneously evolved it.



Download Considerations On Representative Government Now! ... Read more

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Beginning With The Logic, Part 1, On Chapters 17-19. ... Read more