Please help! Assess Mills contribution to the understanding of individuality?

[Xin Rong]

I've been reseraching this for my synoptic study for 5 weeks now and I feel like I have made no progress. I am not really sure what to do. At first I was thinking of looking at current laws that have been changed so as to promote individuality, thus supporting Mill.

Then I thought i could contrast it with Rousseau but I am not sure how to relate it to the question? Also I dont really know who was more influential or and i'm not really clear on rousseaus views.

I also am thinking of using Humboldt to support Mill but I cant find anything on him really, I looking for a summary of his views on individuality, does anyone know where there is one? I was then going to use this as a criticism because Mill was influenced by Humboldt.

I wanted to also include people Mill have influenced or political parties etc that have been influenced since it was written.

As you can see I am in a lot of trouble and my teacher is of no use, they just tell me to find directiona dn thats it, if everyone could help i would appreciate it greatly, even help with the basic sturcture of the essay would help because I'm clueless on how to structure such a long winded essay, thanks

 

[Xin Rong]

Already 14 people have viewed this thread and no one can help I think I is doomed!

 

[Allycat]

Well, the only thing that comes to mind when reading your first post is.... "I like pie!" ... and I don't think that helps much. I know much too little about the field of philosophy to be able to really help you with this.... but I'll try none the less. It's a very bad idea. But if his contributions to the understanding of individuality is so important, perhaps you could look at later influential thinkers and how they incoorporated his views into their own... something like that maybe?

 

[goldenboy]

Man I wish I'd taken some philosophy, lol. I'm with Allycat. I got nothing, really. But this is an interesting topic.

Is this a purely political analysis? Is your approach completely wide open? Do you need a broad, general assessment, or are you to focus on one small facet of his contribution?

You mentioned examining influence on modern laws. Just glancing at Mill's Wiki entry I noticed utilitarianism, which made me think of psychology and psychiatry for some reason, lol. It seems to me that Mill has great relevance for the 20th Century and modern psychology. I wonder if there's much out there about Mill's possible influence on modern psychology, and how it relates to individualism (psychology often being about the examination, study of the self)?

Psychology: The Beginnings

[Mill's] utilitarianism recognizes that happiness is not restricted to physical pleasures (or the avoidance of pain), that there may be different kinds or qualities of happiness.  "It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied."  So, although we certainly begin as simple pleasure-seeking creatures, over time we can acquire far more humanistic motivations. Ultimately, this means that high moral values can be taught, and are not dependent on innate qualities of character.

When looking at social issues, J. S. Mill applies his expanded utilitarianism:  Does a certain institution add to human welfare?  Or are there better alternatives?  He argues, for example, that women should be allowed to vote because women's self-interests can add balance to men's self-interests, and lead to a better society.  He argues for personal freedom because it allows creative individuals to better contribute to society.

http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/psychbeginnings.html

His ideas about women and equality seem really exciting, for the time. And the idea of "freeing creativity" seems like a neat idea too. Dunno. Wonder if you can play up ideas about creativity, sexual equality, as they relate to individualism....


Wilhelm von Humboldt: German Classical Liberal
http://www.libertyhaven.com/theoreticalorphilosophicalissues/philosophy/wilhelmvon.html

I wonder if a comparison to Alexis de Tocqueville would be useful? He famously wrote about America (and the potential future danger and weaknesses of radical individualism within America.)
http://oll.libertyfund.org/Home3/Collections.php?Collection=53

 

[Xin Rong]

Thanks for the help, some of it has sparked ideas in my mind, I'm thinking along similar lines, I was thinking of using Ayn Rand and objectivism, the liberal democrats etc as modern examples of mills influence though, do you think that'd work. I also like the idea of using current laws such as the 24 hour drinking laws, civic marriages etc to show more self autonomy and individuality and then countering them with other laws such as the smoking ban, id cards etc

 

[Mr. Pointy]

Sorry, I can't be much help on this one - philosophy makes my brain hurt! All I could think of was the Monty Python Philosopher's Song...

John Stuart Mill, of his own free will,
On half a pint of shandy was particularly ill.

and

Yes, Socrates, himself, is particularly missed;
A lovely little thinker but a bugger when he's pissed!

...which always makes me chuckle.

See the full lyrics Here

 

[Allycat]

Oh wait, I remember this guy now... Dicken's attacked him in Hard Times. Oh boy, I sure do feel smart now. (not!) 😛

 

[Xin Rong]

What did Dickens say, his general view is that inidividuality leads to progress etc and that one should be free to act or say as one wishes so long as it does not cause harm to others i.e. if they are self regarding actions they should be allowed

 

[nerd4hire]

If you're looking for a format the one I always found easiest was the argumentative essay, where you take two platforms and pit the one againt the other.

If you're looking for a set of laws to pit against Mill's utilitarian ideal I think I have the ideal set for you. It seems to me Mills would make a great champion of the file-sharing arguement, because there you have the whole idea of "free the art" for the common man versus the restrictions of corpocracy (A society in which corporations have substantial economic and political power) which appears to be the wave of the future.

 

[Allycat]

Actually, Dickens attack was more on the practical utilitarians and two fictional proponents of it, one a schoolmaster, who believes that all you need is fact and who distrusts all forms of emotion and art... perhaps not the best way to go for your essay, just figured I'd share the background info.

 

[Xin Rong]

If you're looking for a format the one I always found easiest was the argumentative essay, where you take two platforms and pit the one againt the other.

If you're looking for a set of laws to pit against Mill's utilitarian ideal I think I have the ideal set for you. It seems to me Mills would make a great champion of the file-sharing arguement, because there you have the whole idea of "free the art" for the common man versus the restrictions of corpocracy (A society in which corporations have substantial economic and political power) which appears to be the wave of the future.

Mills utilitarian side I guess would be on the common mans side as there would be more happiness created from allowing it but from his on liberty point of view any action can't cause harm so really Mill may argue against it because it could be said to be causing harm to the fat cats and the economy etc, then again it is a bit ambiguous

 

[nerd4hire]

That's interesting though. If we all have the right to happiness, and you have a situation where one person draws happiness from oppressing the other, thus depriving happiness from the other; what happens then? Greater good?

If it is greater doesn't a society need it's art to attain satisfaction on a societal scale, and if you restrict the art doesn't the society stagnate, and thus restrict it's need to evolve.

You see what I mean? Argumentative.