Email address:
jjmiller@vt.edu

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

Date of defense:
April 15, 1997

Document Type:
Master's Thesis

Degree:
Master of Arts

Department:
Philosophy

Abstract

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.

Keywords:
John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism, Individual Choice-Making, Competence, Participation, Representative Democracy

Availability:
In 3 months.

Public URL:
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/public/etd-2847102939721181/etd-title.html

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List of attached files

File Name	Size (Bytes)
etd.pdf	203,558 Bytes

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Date item approved:
04/30/97

Fees:
Archiving fee received.

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