John Stuart Mill (1806–73), son of James Mill a famous political theorist, was the most influential English language philosopher of the nineteenth century and followed in his father’s footsteps by writing about liberty and the effect that the majority opinion has on an individual’s self-determination. In books such as Utilitarianism (1861) and On Liberty (1859) Mill looks to assert that intellectual and moral pleasure are superior to lesser qualitative forms of pleasure like physical ones through an empiricist outlook. The assumption that moral and intellectual pleasure is best leads him to distinguish between happiness and contentment, heralding the former to be the more important quality to attain. Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755), a Frenchmen,
…show more content…
Republican governments such as Democracies and Aristocracies ordain that the people conform to principles such as virtue or moderation. Democracies have a society where the people are in power and there is a sovereign governed through ministers or via a senate. Montesquieu indicates that it "limits ambition to the sole desire, to the sole happiness, of doing greater services to our country than the rest of our fellow citizens" (Pg.60) The democracy must educate its citizens to have interests which fall in line with that of the country in order to prevent individuals from following private interests. A Monarchy, like the newly established English monarchy put in place at the time of writing The Spirit of Laws, is governed by “fixed and established laws” at which point individuals are driven by honor in whatever measure they see fit. Sense of worth, search for knowledge, or just a general desire to serve the king, all these motives lead to serving the country for the better. A despotic state is ruled by fear where a “single person should rule according to his own caprice,” (Pg. 37) successfully squashing individual spirit and ambition. James Mill, writer of The Political Writing of James Mill (1815-36), is avidly against the presence of powerful governments as he portrays in the “State of the Nation”. He insists that the ones with the power of government are susceptible to human nature and that “entrusted with them have infinite temptations to abuse them, and will never cease abusing them. […] Who are to watch the watchmen? –the people themselves […] without this ultimate safeguard, the ruling Few will be forever the scourge and oppression of the subject Many.” Montesquieu outlines various forms of government like Despots which are inherently bad and corrupt whereas J.S. Mill discredits it because of the
Republican governments such as Democracies and Aristocracies ordain that the people conform to principles such as virtue or moderation. Democracies have a society where the people are in power and there is a sovereign governed through ministers or via a senate. Montesquieu indicates that it "limits ambition to the sole desire, to the sole happiness, of doing greater services to our country than the rest of our fellow citizens" (Pg.60) The democracy must educate its citizens to have interests which fall in line with that of the country in order to prevent individuals from following private interests. A Monarchy, like the newly established English monarchy put in place at the time of writing The Spirit of Laws, is governed by “fixed and established laws” at which point individuals are driven by honor in whatever measure they see fit. Sense of worth, search for knowledge, or just a general desire to serve the king, all these motives lead to serving the country for the better. A despotic state is ruled by fear where a “single person should rule according to his own caprice,” (Pg. 37) successfully squashing individual spirit and ambition. James Mill, writer of The Political Writing of James Mill (1815-36), is avidly against the presence of powerful governments as he portrays in the “State of the Nation”. He insists that the ones with the power of government are susceptible to human nature and that “entrusted with them have infinite temptations to abuse them, and will never cease abusing them. […] Who are to watch the watchmen? –the people themselves […] without this ultimate safeguard, the ruling Few will be forever the scourge and oppression of the subject Many.” Montesquieu outlines various forms of government like Despots which are inherently bad and corrupt whereas J.S. Mill discredits it because of the