How does the town and the country interact?
How do they have a give & take relationship?
What is the importance of gold & silver?
Why does Smith think gold & silver are not wealth?
How did the riches of a town contribute to the well-being of it's country?
Why are extravagant lifestyles of proprietors unsustainable?
Why is governmental regulation of gold and silver unnecessary?
What does Mill think about society and the individual?
In response to the town and country interacting:
ReplyDeleteThe town provides the market for the surplus goods that the country produces and the country provides the goods for the town's manufacturing and industry. It is a mutually beneficial division of labour (355). According to Smith the countryside has to develop before the town can be improved upon because agriculture is the foundation of the town-country system. But it is also a bit of a positive feedback loop where the increased success of the countryside leads to increased success of the town which in turn increases innovation in both the town and the countryside.
What does Mil think about society and the individual?
ReplyDeleteAccording to Mill, individuality has to be protected from society, because tyranny of the majority (public opinion) threatens individuals' liberties. People have the right to have their own opinions and voice their opinions, even if they go against the majority view. Society cannot silence individuals' opinions because, according to Mill, censorship is immoral. Mill believes that it is important to protect individuality, because, without it, society would not move forward. Also, tyranny of the majority silencing a minority can be harmful to the society, because the minority could be right.
Of course, there are limits to individuals' freedoms. Society can step in when someone's actions are threatening another person. The harm principle allows the majority to step in (either by law or public opinion) to stop someone from causing any kind of harm to another individual.