Mill vs. Hobbes

Paper Summary:

The paper explains Thomas Hobbes' and John Stuart Mill's arguments for a better society. The paper looks at Mill's principle of utility and Hobbes' social contract theory. The paper discusses how John Stuart Mill's views on utilitarianism are primarily influenced by those of Jeremy Bentham. The paper is of the opinion that Mill presents the stronger argument for a stable society.

From the Paper:

"The idea of society is perhaps one of the greatest things to have ever been created by humans. There are an infinite number of ways that a society can be run, and it is one of the most debated topics of all time. Some of the greatest thinkers the world has ever seen have given thought to this topic, including two by the names of John Stuart Mill and Thomas Hobbes. Although their ideas are both based on society, they each take a very different approach to the topic and Mill is known for his writings such as Utilitarianism, which is based upon the principle of utility. His views are utilitarianistic, which proposes a society based upon the idea of "the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people" (Wikipedia Mill 5)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Pojman, Louis P., and Lewis Vaughn, comps. The Moral Life. New York: Oxford UP, 2007.
• "John Stuart Mill." Wikipedia. 9 Oct. 2007 <www.wikipedia.com/john_stuart_mill>.
• "Thomas Hobbes." Wikipedia. 9 Oct. 2007 <www.wikipedia.com/thomas_hobbes>.

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