Mill, Method, and the Art of Life

Abstract

For Mill, the Art of Life requires one to find the appropriate quasi-Platonic balance between Morality, Nobility, and Prudence. In consequence, his Art of Life could fail in any of three ways, corresponding to the assignment of undue scope to any one department at the expense of the remainder. This thesis uses analytical methods, including de dicto and de re interpretation, to unlock the fundamental axiological and existential premises which give Mill’s Art of Life its unity, its creative tensions, and can guide the reconstruction of his system today.