There are plenty of stories developed by leaders and philosophers. Some of the most significant ideas are based on the problems faced by different communities. The traditional concepts and theories make up the present condition of human knowledge and skills. From the dawn of philosophy, different people have been rated as great thinkers for their invention and creativity. The ability to connect ideas with human actions is the first step towards changing the world. The following is a review of Kant's political philosophy and the utilitarianism theory as developed by John Mill. The two are some of the most profound and constructive thinkers of the 19 th and 20 th centuries. In deriving their arguments, the two exhibited their independent insight and self-consciousness regarding addressing both social and political challenges.
Kant's Social and Political Philosophy
Immanuel Kant is regarded as one of the modern philosophers. His ideas are still useful and applicable in today's world despite being derived in the eighteenth century. There were other philosophers before Kant, but none of them exhibited his principles of knowledge. When writing about this social and political philosophy, Kant focused more on the issue of freedom and enlightenment. He argued that all human beings have the right to freedom and hence they must manage their living conditions. The idea was simulated by the theories of other outstanding, great thinkers such as Rousseau (Christman, 2017). Kant argues that Rousseau's theories held some truth about human freedom, but there was an error in apprehending this information. He, therefore, set himself to correct the error by arguing that freedom can only be exercised in real society. The philosopher binds the moral and physical worlds together to give the law a wide range of development.
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The most engaging concept of the theory is its fundamental creation. Kant teaches about the principles of liberty, equality, and independence for human beings. The policies are necessary when founding the values and laws of righteousness that can be used to govern a state. Modern communities cannot exist without the acceptance of the members of the society. Rights are necessary within communities to ensure support of the people. Kant also describes the difference between virtues and rights (Alfino, 2014). The two elements advocate for similar values, but they relate to freedom in different ways. Virtues reflect on inner freedom while rights concern outer freedom. The actions of an individual affect others irrespective of one's inner thoughts or motivations. The conditions listed by Kant are essential in creating a lasting peace in the world. People can establish a political and peaceful community using these principles. The ideas are a presumption of limits within a country or state based on a social contract.
Utilitarianism
Mill bases his arguments on the principles of actions that promote happiness. In most of his works, the most explored topic is about great pleasures and happiness. For human beings, pleasure can differ in quality and quantity based on one's actions and desires. According to Mill, happiness is the ability of human beings to avoid pain. There are also some achievements and activities that are categorized under happiness. An example is virtuous living which is the ultimate goals for most people. Utilitarianism is related to human ideas and sentiments that originate from social nature (Mill, 2015). As a result, if global communities recognize the concept of utilitarianism people would be able to generate the most important social values and standards. Happiness is closely related to morality. Mill embraces the aspect of human rights that are also part of human happiness. People should have intrinsic values that positively affect their actions and activities.
The essay by John Mill emphasizes the value of utilitarianism as a moral principle. Keeping in mind that his theory was developed after Kant's philosophy, Mill borrows some ideas about freedom and independence. In today's world, people should learn to interpret happiness and pleasures as subjective matters. Communities should engage in activities that have higher values and sensations. When people exercise their higher capabilities, there are likely to experience more pleasure from the results (Alfino, 2014). The theory has been criticized for many reasons with the main one being that it is not possible to measure every element by the same standards. The opponents believe that happiness is more complicated than explained by Mill. As a way of responding to these criticisms Mill provides a complex philosophy that links justice and utility. He believes that happiness is one of the fundamental elements that can be used to exercise fairness.
Conclusion
Human rights and values have been put in place to preserve human life. Human rights are equal and universal because they are aimed at protecting all individuals irrespective of their social class, origin, and color. These rights have been associated with specific values and laws that are upheld by different communities and nations. When comparing the theories, both philosophers recognize the immediate values that are essential for growth. Kant refers to the instantaneous moral values as duties while Mill describes them as subordinate principles. In the application stage, people should make their decisions such that they contribute positively to the lives of others. The two also appeal to consequences in the application of moral principles. The ability of different people to exercise reason is what forms the basis for the protection of human dignity. The concepts are related to the ideas of other philosophers who expand the topic on moral obligation.
References
Alfino, M. (2014). Philosophies of intellectual freedom. In The Library Juice Press Handbook of Intellectual Freedom: Concepts, Cases, and Theories (Vol. 7, No. 40, pp. 7-40). Litwin Books in association with GSE Research.
Christman, J. (2017). Social and political philosophy: A contemporary introduction . Routledge.
Mill, J. S. (2015). On Liberty, Utilitarianism, and other essays . Oxford University Press, USA.
