Understanding John Stuart Mill

By: Laurence Houlgate
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • This multi-episode podcast is hosted by Professor Laurence Houlgate, Ph.D. The podcast is based on Houlgate's best-selling study guide Understanding John Stuart Mill: The Smart Student's Guide to Utiltarianism and On Liberty, two books he taught during a long career as a university professor of philosophy.
    This podcast is about Utilitarianism. A later podcast will be about Mill's On Liberty. Students will learn much more about Mill's classic books if they purchase Houlgate's guide-book Understanding John Stuart Mill and/or Mill's original books (Utilitarianism and On Liberty), available at low cost on Amazon.com or at your favorite book store.
    Having the book on hand while Professor Houlgate talks and comments will help listeners focus during the episode and mark off those sections they would like to read again after the broadcast.
    Each episode will be aired on Mondays at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.
    Copyright Laurence Houlgate
    Show More Show Less
Philosophy Social Sciences
Show More Show Less
Episodes
  • Understanding J.S. Mill's Utilitarianism, EP 14, Laudable Injustice

    Understanding J.S. Mill's Utilitarianism, EP 14, Laudable Injustice
    Dec 20 2022
    "Laudable injustice" looks like a contradiction, but Mill uses these words to describe what happens when an act or omission that is unjust in most cases is justifiable in a small group of other cases. Mill uses the example of kidnapping a doctor at gunpoint and forcing the reluctant doctor to treat a dying child. In this final episode we apply Mill' idea of laudable injustice to the famous Trolley Problem. If you don't know what that is, then come join us.
    Show More Show Less
    17 mins
  • Understanding J.S. Mill's Utilitarianism, EP 13 Justice and Utility (cont.)

    Understanding J.S. Mill's Utilitarianism, EP 13 Justice and Utility (cont.)
    Dec 13 2022
    This episode begins with an imaginary conversation between Mill and John Locke about the idea of natural rights. Mill rejects the idea of rights that exist outside of civil society and Locke has difficulty responding without engaging in circular reasoning. The remainder of the episode is an account of how difficult it is to use the idea of justice in the debate about the morality of abortion.
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • Understanding J.S. Mill's Utilitarianism, EP 12, Feelings of Justice and the Idea of a Right

    Understanding J.S. Mill's Utilitarianism, EP 12, Feelings of Justice and the Idea of a Right
    Dec 6 2022
    In this episode I explain Mill's account of "feelings" of justice and injustice, and how Mill ties this concept to the idea of a violation of a moral or legal rule and the idea of punishment. I will also discuss Mill's concept of "a right" and what it means to say that one does or does not have a right to something (e.g. life, liberty, or a cup of coffee).
    Show More Show Less
    17 mins

What listeners say about Understanding John Stuart Mill

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com.au reviews

Amazon Reviews
No Reviews are Available
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.