Perfect Equality
John Stuart Mill on Well-Constituted Communities
Maria H. Morales(Author)
Rowman & Littlefield (Publisher)
Published on 8. October 1996
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-0-8476-8181-5 (ISBN)
Description
This original and compelling book argues that previous studies of John Stuart Mill's work have neglected his egalitarianism and thus seriously misunderstood his views. Morales demonstrates that Mill was fundamentally concerned with how the exercise of unjust or arbitrary power by some individuals over others sabotages the possibility of human well-being and social improvement. Mill therefore believed that 'perfect equality'-more than liberty-was the foundation of democracy and that democracy was a moral ideal for the organization of human life in all of its dimensions. By reinterpreting Mill, Morales also challenges twentieth-century views of liberalism, and addresses its contemporary communitarian and feminist critics.
Reviews / Votes
Maria Morales's arguments for her claim that the substantive value of 'perfect equality' is central to Mill's moral and political philosophy and her analysis of Mill's egalitarianism in ^RThe Subjection of Women^I are illuminating and insightful. They merit serious consideration. -- Wendy Donner, Carleton University very good indeed . . . a refreshingly new and important reading of J.S. Mill . . . For those of us who have all too often dismissed Mill's work as fundamentally elitist, individualistic and ultimately even incoherent, Morales' work will come as a pleasant surprise . . . the book illuminates profound aspects of Mill's thought which have always been there before our eyes, but never recognized before. -- Sibyl A. Schwarzenbach, The City University of New York Perfect Equality is an compact, egaging, and inventive book. -- Susan Bickford, Cornell University * Ethics: An International Journal of Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy, January 1998 * Maria Morales offers a distinctive and illuminating reading of Mill's practical philosophy. It is most welcome to have a sustained and interesting interpretation which brings this work into the center of his moral and political thought. Morales's powerful critiques of the superficial and misdirected communitarian objections to some forms of liberalism are also welcome. -- Wendy Donner, Carleton University * The Philosophical Review, Vol. 107, No. 2 (April 1998) * The great strength of this book is its novel interpretation of Mill, which places his conception of perfect equality . . . at the center of his moral and political philosophy . . . Perfect Equality represents a strong contribution to Mill scholarship. -- Elizabeth S. Anderson, University of MichiganMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Lanham, MD
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 226 mm
Width: 149 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
308 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8476-8181-5 (9780847681815)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Maria H. Morales is assistant professor of philosophy at Florida State University.
Content
Mills substantive egalitarianism; Mill on Bentham: two conceptions of liberalism; A social conception of utility; The corrupting effects of power; The tyranny of the domestic sphere; The foundation of Millean community.