On Liberty and Other Essays (The ^AWorld's Classics)

Mill, John Stuart

ISBN 10: 019282208X / ISBN 13: 9780192822086

Edité par Oxford University Press, 1991

Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. N° de réf. du vendeur 00088142922

Synopsis :

The four essays here collected show Mill applying his liberal utilitarian philosophy to a range of issues that are still regarded as vital today - issues of the nature of ethics, the scope and limits of individual liberty, the merits and costs of democratic government and the place of women in society. Contrary to the common view, these essays show Mill to be a systematic and consistent thinker, rather than a muddled eclectic of traditional interpretations. In his introduction, John Gray describes these essays as applications of Mill's doctrine of the Art of Life, as set out in "A System of Logic". Using the resources of recent revisionist scholarship, he argues that Mill's work is far richer than traditional interpretations allow. He suggests that Mill's project of giving liberalism a utilitarian foundation nevertheless fails, the failure of Millian liberalism carrying with it the likely failure of liberalism itself.

Présentation de l'éditeur: This collection of essays by John Stuart Mill includes his masterwork of political philosophy On Liberty, together with other notable and acclaimed works.

A famed philosopher, essayist and economist, John Stuart Mill has since the nineteenth century been revered for his succinct insights on matters of society. He developed the philosophy of utilitarianism, which remains a subject of serious study to this day.

This compilation contains four principle works by Mill:

On Liberty - the classic essay by Mill, and his most known. In this treatise Mill attempts to reconcile the need for civilized control and authority with the human need for personal liberty and expression. Individuality is, according to Mill, precursor to many of the higher pleasures of existence - a just society must therefore make provisions for such to occur, while remaining sufficiently ordered.

Utilitarianism - wherein Mill sets out the tenets and reasoning behind his own personal philosophy. Mill was a firm believer that it was ethical to maximize the utility of a given tool or object; it is within this lengthy treatise that he defends utilitarianism and attempts to clear up several misconceptions which had emerged regarding it.

Considerations on Representative Government - here, Mill argues in favor of democratic representation as the finest type of government. He also contends that elected representatives should be more occupied with public debate over specific issues, than with enacting laws.

The Subjection of Women - Mill's foremost feminist work, this essay was published jointly with Mill's wife: Harriet Taylor Mill. A frequent supporter of women and convinced of female intellectual and moral capacities, Mill argues that women should be able to vote and participate in society to a much greater degree. This position was unpopular, but one which Mill held staunchly all his life.

Détails bibliographiques

Titre : On Liberty and Other Essays (The ^AWorld's ...
Éditeur : Oxford University Press
Date d'édition : 1991
Reliure : Couverture souple
Etat : Very Good