JOHN STUART MILL

Lynne Mohammed Saeed Hejazi 1127072

Mohd Aqil Selamat 1225891
Fairouz Abdallah Saindou 1032798
Nur Soleha Mohd Lazim 1223194
Muhammad Azzubair Awwam Mustafa 1226339
 INTRODUCTION
Lynne Mohammed Saeed Hejazi 1127072
 Historian and economist as well as one of the most
influential English-speaking philosopher of the 19th
century regarding Social and political theory.
The thought and life of John Stuart Mill could be
understood in the context of his father, James Mill , who
also was a political philosopher.
James Mill, met political theorist Jeremy Bentham in
1808
Whos two mens friendship prompted them to start the
movement of philosophic radicals.
 In his autobiography a mental crisis, during which he
has suffered from depression as well as a nervous break
down
Mills began his new path with a struggle to revise his
fathers and Benthams work.
In 1832, Jeremy Bentham died, followed closely by
James Mill in 1836. With the deaths of his two mentors,
Mill discovered that he had even more intellectual
freedom.
 The major works started to appear in 1843 with A System of Logic
The year 1859 marked the publication of On Liberty, Mills
landmark work on supporting individuals' moral and economic
freedom from the government and society at large
Even thought Mills was influenced by utilitarianism; believing that if
society were simply to embrace acts that minimize pain and
maximize happiness, the standards created would form an easily
and naturally internalized code of ethics
utilitarianism rests on a single statement as a moral philosophy
which is : Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote
happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of
happiness.
He also believes within human beings' social nature, are natural
sentiments, that maximize happiness and minimize
 However he also wrote in defense of individuals, As seen in his
writing on suffering of women and their equal rights in education.
The Subjection of Women [1869]
Mills principle that the majority often denies individual liberties
drove his interest in social reform, hence he was an activist on
behalf of labor unions and political reforms
His Ideas in On Liberty in which he states ;individuals opinions
and behavior should be free of external pressure, whether its
social pressure or pressure from the law. (legal pressure)
However if one's behavior harms other people, that behavior must
be stopped.
He provides an impassioned defense of individuality and diversity.
 ON LIBERTY
Mohd Aqil Selamat 1225891
 His writing On Liberty emphasized on the idea about the society
progresses that is always changing from lower to a higher
condition and the democracy practices itself
Under his writing On Liberty, it could be shown through the four
main ideas as follow:
1) Civil liberty that has been created to set on the member of
society power over an individual
- This action work as a protection towards the people from
tyranny. Unfortunately, it became a tyranny of the majority
- He also focused on the three type of liberty such as (a) Liberty
of thought and opinion (b) Liberty to plan their own lives and (c)
Liberty to have the same way of thinking for a greater good
 2) An individual should have the freedom of opinion
- The member society should not discriminate an individual because of their different
opinions
- Sometimes popular opinion does not have the legitimacy to make everything and
anything correct
3) Individual who does not follow the opinion of majority should not be charged
through legal prosecution
- Any individuals can practice their own opinion without creating issues that may
cause problem in the future
- It is the responsibility of the individual to respect the member of community
- If an individual does not respect the community, they have the right to warn you
4) Member of community can legitimately limit the action of an individual
- Member of community has their obligation towards an individual. Why? If any
individual created problem inside the society itself, it will bring them problem as well.
- The society itself have the rights to intervene only when the situation is getting out
of control, this is based by himself
 ON INDIVIDUALITY
Fairouz Abdallah Saindou 1032798
INDIVIDUALITY
Mill says that Free development of individuality is one
of the leading essentials of well-being
Although, societies prefer conformity over individuality.
While conformity = stability, it reflects the preference of
the majority; which promotes the importance of
customs and traditions.
 It is in mans nature to be free, and express his
individuality
Man has skills that allow him to understand and make
choices
Depriving him of these choices is considered a stunt to
his development.
The key is to setup this individuality properly
 Mills individualism: Over himself, over his own body and
mind, the individual is sovereign

Three exceptions:
1. The principle applies only to those in the maturity of
their faculties
2. It does not apply to those backward states of society in
which the race itself may be considered as in its nonage.
Despotism is a legitimate mode of government in dealing
with barbarians, provided that the end to be their
improvement.
3. It is not applicable to earlier times when a tribe or nation
is not yet a civil society
 UTILITARIANISM
Nur Soleha Mohd Lazim 1223194
What is Utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism- the creed which accepts as the foundation of
morals, holds the actions are right as they tend to promote
happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of
happiness.
The Greatest Happiness Principle.
Actions are good when they lead to a higher level of general
happiness, and bad when they decrease that level.

What is Happiness?
Intended pleasure and the absence of pain.
Pleasure and the absence of pain the only things desirable as
ends in themselves.
 Happiness is the good for human being.
No ones happiness is more important than anyone elses.
Everyone should pursue their own happiness in their own way, but
under limitations set by the equal rights of everyone else.
Happiness is the justification and ought to be the controller of all
ends, but is not itself the sole end.
When making a moral judgment on an action, utilitarianism thus
takes into account not just the quantity, but also the quality of the
pleasures resulting from it.
 A pleasure is of higher quality if people would choose
it over a different pleasure even if it is accompanied
by discomfort.
Happiness differs from contentment. People who
employ higher faculties are often less content,
because they have a deeper sense of the limitations
of the world.
Human beings pleasures are much superior than
animalistic ones.
It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a
pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a
fool satisfied.
 ANALYSIS & CONCLUSION
Muhammad Azzubair Awwam Mustafa 1226339
VIEWING MILLS IDEAS & ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
Everyone have a right to enjoin the liberty.
However, there should be a limitation in liberty.
As Muslim, freedom of thought should not beyond the
revelation. The thought should brought us to the right way.
Opinion by majority is not something that is right, so individual
have a right to give another opinion.
 In term of individuality, it cannot be denied that people should
voice out the idea that they have.
To avoid the misuse of power
Conformity create a barrier for the people to think and become
undeveloped
Individual is sovereign, man are powerful to decide what he
want. Example: elections
 In term of utilitarianism, happiness is the important matter in our
life, but it is not the end.
It cannot be denied that happiness is subjective and depends on
the individual
Ones happiness should not destroyed others chance to enjoy
happiness.
As Muslim, our end to be achieved is the attainment of heaven