Why Read Mill Today?

by John Skorupski

John Stuart Mill is one of the greatest thinkers of the nineteenth century. But does he have anything to teach us today? His deep concern for freedom of the individual is thought by some to be outdated and inadequate to the cultural and religious complexities of twenty first century life. In this succinct and shrewd book, John Skorupski argues that Mill is a profound and inspiring social and political thinker from whom we still have much to learn. He reflects on Mill's central arguments in his most famous works, including Utilitarianism and On Liberty , and traces their implications for democratic politics. With the use of topical and controversial examples, including privacy, religious intolerance, and freedom of speech, he makes Mill's concerns our own at a time when what liberalism means, and why it matters, is once again in dispute. He concludes that Mill's place in the pantheon of 'great thinkers' rests not only on his specific political and social doctrines, but above all on his steadfastly generous and liberal vision of human beings, their relations to one another, and what makes life worth living.

Genres: Philosophy

122 pages, Hardcover

First published April 19, 2006

Reviews

[Marta Johansson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Håller med den här recensionen:

”Why Read Mill Today? is a marvelously concise, accessible, and engaging discussion of the moral and political philosophy of John Stuart Mill, one which both situates Mill’s view in their historical context and proves their continuing significance.” Roger Crisp

Gillade speciellt att han jämförde Mill med andra samtida politiska tänkare och placerade hans idéer i en historisk kontext. Skorupski ställde även frågor som är värda att diskutera vidare.

[Josep Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction and very useful comparisons with contemporary philosophical movements. I have to confess I am not the biggest fan of Mill or Utilitarianism, but one cannot but look at it more dearly after reading Skorupski's work.

[Enya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bruh. This is a good book and makes Mill’s philosophy a whole lot more accessible, but it was soooo hard to read this after reading academic texts all day every day. It’s a great intro to 20th century liberalism and Mill’s ideas on liberty, democracy, and liberal elitism, if you’re looking to build some brain cells

[Alauddin Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful introduction for Mill's philosophy.