Late Classical

Question 1

Human Nature

Answer 1

• Bentham’s utilitarian philosophy suggested the individuals seek to maximise their own ‘utility’ - maximising personal pleasure.
• Self-reliance is possible, but the difficulty of an industrial society allows more rigorous challenge and to be fully developed - requires some self-help.

Question 2

Mill on HN

Answer 2

• Rational but not fixed and is forever progressing.
• Believed in the concept of negative freedom.
• Developed the harm principle = distinguishes between self-rewarding and other-regarding actions.

Question 3

State

Answer 3

• Use the formula of ‘the greatest happiness of the greatest number’ to inform govt legislation and policy - elected & accountable to the ‘greatest number’ of voters.
• Spencer developed that the poor cannot do self-help and the minority would justify state extension, eroding majority freedom - applied a survival of the fittest ‘social darwinism’.
• Restated belief in a minimal state and negative freedom,

Question 4

Mill on State

Answer 4

• Mill’s rep dem elects people who seek to integrate different opinions. Must be mindful of minority rights, as a govt by consent may lead to ‘tyranny of the majority’ - especially with an uneducated electorate.
• To foster diversity, Mill argued that the harm principle should limit govt and society - not tolerating ‘other-regarding’ actions (may inc. violence).

Question 5

Economy

Answer 5

• Negative liberty and a minimal govt led to a laissez-faire approach - capitalism was vital to progress individual enterprise and initiative.
• However, greater govt intervention was necessary to stabilise the fragile economy after the industrial revolution.

Question 6

Mill on Economy

Answer 6

• Favoured inheritance tax, trade protectionism and regulation of employee’s work hours.
• Favoured mandatory education but not mandatory schooling. Advocated for a voucher system for schools and a state system of exams to ensure people met the minimum level of learning.

Question 7

Society

Answer 7

• Industrialised society - growing sense of class consciousness.
• Minimal state/neg lib would lead to a survival of the fittest (a gradual elimination of those unable to enjoy individualism). Leads to a society where rational self-reliance was the norm.
• Utilitarianism = society that benefits the majority.

Question 8

Mill on Society

Answer 8

• Individuality coexists with tolerance and self-improvement.
• Links to the harm principle that society should tolerate all actions and lifestyles unless it could harm other people, ensuring that new ideas can emerge with bad ideas exposed to an open debate.
• This is because mediocrity of public opinion crushes self-expression and contradicts to liberal society’s rights , preventing all achieve freedom (negative freedom).