Compare and contrast Mill’s conception of a liberal society with the Marxist and communitarian conception of society (as discussed in chapter 4). What is the Harm Principle? What are the challenges in determining its proper scope of application? Describe how Mill’s liberalism tends to favor the individual. How do Marx and communitarians (in their own ways) challenge or critique this individualism?
This is not a research essay per se. You are not required to make use of any resources outside of those provided in class. In fact, I strongly urge that you do not make use of outside sources. If you do make use of external resources, please be sure to provide references, including web addresses for any internet sites you consult. Any quotes you draw from our class texts should cite the page number(s), for example: “The utilitarian message…” (Wolff, p. 52) or “Hobbes writes that…” (Rosen & Wolff, p. 13). Other than that, imagine you are writing for an interested friend of yours—try to explain the ideas relevant to the topic you’ve chosen as clearly and intelligibly as you can.
