Individuo y sociedad en el pensamiento de John Stuart Mill

Abstract

This essay presents the conception of human nature and its development found in some of the best known works of John Stuart Mill. After sketching his vision of the aims of humanity, we describe his central concepts, emphasizing activity as the source of the intellectual, practical and moral development of humankind, and the salient roles of originality and antagonism in human progress. We then examine his concept of society as an aggregate of individuals and individual interests. The third part of the article looks at society as a whole, distinct from the elements which give birth to it, where the concepts of order govermment acquire importance. The essay closes by pointing out some of the links between Mill's vision of society and his political theory.