FREE KANT VS MILLS Essay (original) (raw)

Immanuel Kant simply stated the creed of the enlightenment: "Dare to know," (Kant 1). To thinkers like Kant, to achieve enlightenment was to "gain release from self-incurred tutelage [the] inability to make use of [one's] understanding without direction from another," (Kant 1). Enlightenment thinkers addressed this issue. They present to us the question; why is it so hard to think for oneself? They propose answers to this puzzle, as well as provide solutions that will teach us how to think for ourselves. Through Immanuel Kant's "What is Enlightenment" and J.S. Mill's On Liberty, we can gain a deeper understanding of this question, and its answers. .
According to Kant, "laziness and cowardice" (1) are why we don't think for ourselves. But this also contributes to the difficulty of thinking for ourselves. We get into the habit of letting others think for us thus it gets increasingly difficult to break this pattern. It is simply easier to let others do the thinking for us. Those who do the thinking also contribute to the pattern. They would, of course, like to maintain their control over the masses that do not think for themselves, so, the "guardians" "show the danger which threatens if they try to go alone," (Kant 2). One example of "failure makes them timid and frightens them away from all further trials," (Kant 2). This is one way that people were taught not to think for themselves, and were prompted to keep letting others think for them. What is so interesting is that Mills tells us "the mass do not now take their opinions from books. Their thinking is done for them by men much like themselves, addressing them or speaking in their name, on the spur of the moment, through the newspapers," (63). The media bombards us with ideas and we are, in a sense, forced to take these opinions and make them our own. We only see what the media wants us to see and understand the world through this perception.

1. Kant Vs Mill

John Stuart Mill, on the other hand, greatly differs from Kant. Mill's goal and approach to morality is opposite from that of Kant's. ... A further examination of Mill's utility theory will prove that Kant and Mill's ethical approach to issues are quite different. ... It can already be seen how Mill and Kant differ greatly in their ethical theories. ... It seems that Kant would agree with Mill on this point of quantity and quality. ...

2. Kant vs mill

In my paper I will discuss the different claims made by both Mills and Kant on happiness" role in moral life and present the issue that turns these two ethical theories into a contrast between emotions and pleasures verses rationality and logic. ... Even though Mills believed so strongly in his idea of happiness another man named Immanuel Kant believed that the well being of each person should be an end in itself. ... Both Kant and Mills measure morality in different ways. ... In Mill's point of view this would be right because the greater good was served. ... Immanuel Kant is just a...

3. Mill Vs. Kant

Both Mill and Kant have their own unique arguments about the motivations behind our actions. Kant believes that the only moral actions are ones in which we act in accordance with what we would want to become a universal law. ... Mill takes the opposite stance, saying that it does not matter what the motivation is as long as the result benefits the greatest number of people possible. ... Kant believes that that person's motivation for any action must be totally pure and in accordance with universal law in order to be moral, in other words a categorical imperative. ... While Kant'...

4. John Rawls

Anna Burruel Phil 126 Kant vs. ... This basic difference between Kant and John Stuart Mill's utilitarianism can also be demonstrated in terms of deontological vs. teleological ethics. ... This shows the separation between Kant's deontological ethics and Mill's teleological ethics. Another way to decipher between Kant and Mill is in terms of the difference between Kant being a rationalist, and Mill being an empiricists. ... As discussed before Kant is a rationalist, as opposed to Mill being an empiricist. ...

5. Absolutism vs. Realism

Absolutism vs. ... Part of the relativist view deals with utilitarianism, which was supported by John Stuart Mill. ... Immanuel Kant supports absolutism, while J.S. Mill supports relativism. ... Kant, Immanuel. ...

6. Morality of puddnhead wilson

Mill believes in the overall happiness for everyone. ... He also had another theory, nature vs. nurture. ... Mill also wouldn't agree with what "Tom" did. ... I believe that Kant helped me understand the characters more then Mill did. Kant's theories cover a more broad range then Mill. ...

7. Death Penelty

Immanual Kant, a philosopher on the matter of ethics, founded the Categorical Imperative, which is a rule known all around the world, that states that society and its individuals "must act in such a way that you can will that your actions become a universal law for all to follow" (Palmer 265). ... Those who argue that the death penalty is an ethical way to deal with societies "bad seeds" often state that great American thinkers and leaders such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Kant, Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Mill all supported the death penalty (Koch 3...

8. Kant vs Mill

Antigone the Good and Bad In reading Antigone many comparative questions can be raised about society then as compared to society now. Although society has changed a few things remain the same. When dealing with the questions, "Antigone knowingly and willfully disobeyed Creon's edict. Can she still claim to be a good citizen of Thebes?" there are many elements of society in that day and time you have to take into mind> In my mind Antigone can still be a good citizen of Thebes even if she disobeyed Creon's edict. ...

Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question