Quality and Competence: An Analysis of the Role of Mill's Qualitative Hedonism on his Conception of Representative Democracy

Traditionally, John Stuart Mill has been described as a transitional thinker who fails to fully understand the values he espouses. Critics contend that he cannot simultaneously espouse both utility maximization and the protection of individual choice-making as a non-trumpable value. Like his moral philosophy, Mill’s political thought is also rejected for interspersing, seemingly at random, elements of utilitarianism with concerns about respecting individual choice-making. More recent attempts to bring Mill’s commitment to utilitarianism into line with his respect for individual choice-making are not wholly successful. In this thesis, I offer an interpretation of Mill’s moral philosophy which reconciles the tension between utility maximization and respect for individual choice-making as a non-trumpable value. In addition, I argue that my interpretation of Mill’s moral philosophy also allows us to interpret his political thought.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Philosophy

Department dc:contributor.department

Philosophy

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1997

Author dc:creator

• Miller, J. Joseph

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Croskery, Patrick T.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• White, Stephen K.
• Christman, John P.

• John Stuart Mill
• utilitarianism
• individual choice-making
• competence
• participation
• representative democracy

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-2847102939721181

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/36581