Disciplines
Arts and Humanities
Mentor
Professor Darren Walhof
Abstract
Mill‟s social theories, particularly his notions of civilization and politics, were undoubtedly shaped by his rigorous classical education. Values of human excellence, democracy, and utilitarianism (an epicurean inspired theory), are but a few subjects that are shaped by his reception of classical tradition, principally derived from Athenian philosophies and political institutions. Significant aspects of Mill‟s political thought can be framed using the paradigm of order and progress as outlined in his Considerations on Representative Government. Using this as a starting point, I consider several points at which social order and liberal progress play an important role in Mill‟s particular brand of liberalism, then evaluate the impact of Classical Grecian institutions and thought in these roles. To conclude I exemplify the real-world consequences of classically inspired thinking and the significance of its reception for the progression of modern ideas
ScholarWorks Citation
Shaw, Trevor, "Building on the Acropolis: A Normative Consideration of Mill‟s Reception of Classical Greece and its Subsequent Implications on His Notions of Social Order and Liberal Progress" (2016). Honors Projects. 478.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/honorsprojects/478
