John Stuart Mill and Aristotle's Viewpoints in Their Epistemological and Metaphysical Attitudes - Essay Example

Task: John Stuart Mill and Aristotle John Stuart Mill is one of the most influential 19th century’s philosophers because of the breadth and depth of his arguments. Mill accorded a contemporary view of philosophy by instigating notable intellectual approaches towards epistemological and metaphysical issues. Mill, particularly, was intriguing in the sense in which his philosophies synchronized with the development of the world. On the other hand, Aristotle is a profound philosopher because he produced thoughts, which have survived through generations.

Aristotle possessed the foresight that ensured his thoughts survived through ages. John Stuart Mill and Aristotle have conflicting viewpoints in notable issues. Mill and Aristotle have different viewpoints over what constitutes satisfaction in life. In his writings on Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill upholds utility as the ultimate happiness principle. In this sense, an individual should strive towards maximizing one’s pleasure and works towards minimizing pain (Dēmētriou and Loizides 21).

Mill, therefore, holds that pleasure and the absence of pain are the ultimate ends in a person’s life. On the other hand, in Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle describes the ultimate end of life as leaving in virtue and reason. Aristotle argues that happiness is a subjective concept that differs in every person. He refutes honor as concerned with seeking legitimacy among other people. In this sense, honor is not necessarily the legitimacy that it represents. Aristotle argues that a satisfied person must master the intellectual virtue and the moral virtue.

Besides, satisfaction demands that a person possesses the ability to use one’s faculties of reasoning in the appropriate sense. John Stuart Mill and Aristotle disagree over what makes up correct knowledge. Aristotle, in the Organon, developed a method of logic that comprised a system of principles for establishing syllogisms. In this sense, individuals could utilize their intuition to develop logic. Such forms of arguments start with a core premise that precedes a conclusion. On the other hand, Mill, an empiricist, believed that knowledge could only form out of senses.

Forming logic depends on observing a system of related instances that bear a premise true. In his System of Logic, Mill created hegemony between deductive thinking and inductive thinking. In deductive thinking, a conclusion leads towards the development of principles that support it. On the other hand, inductive thinking involves drawing a conclusion from clearly stated premises. Stuart and Aristotle’s view of social contract differ in notable ways. Aristotle views individuals as political animals thereby heralding the formation of the state as an inevitable end.

He also argues that individuals’ welfare improves when the individual belongs to a community. In this sense, Aristotle argues that a state legitimizes the existence of the individual. On the other hand, Mill views the individual as a sacred entity, whose existence supersedes the existence of the state (Dēmētriou and Loizides 21). The society, in this position, becomes a basis for exploring the individual’s talents and gifts. Indeed, Stuart and Aristotle have differing viewpoints in their epistemological and metaphysical attitudes.

Stuart believes that happiness should be an ultimate end in life as an individual maximizes pleasure and minimizes pain. On the other hand, Aristotle believes that a satisfactory life comprises a robust intellectual virtue, a sound moral virtue, and developed reasoning faculties. In addition, Stuart believes that only senses should be employed in deriving knowledge while Aristotle believes that true knowledge builds from stated premises. Besides, Stuart believes that the state should conform towards the individual while Aristotle believes that the state is inalienable to the individual’s life.

Works cited Dēmētriou, Kyriakos N, and Antis Loizides. John Stuart Mill: a British Socrates. Basingstoke, HA: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Print.