Acta Oeconomica Pragensia, 2007 (vol. 15), issue 5

On "The Morality of Nature" and "The Dark Lantern" of Human Spirit (Several notes on the essays of John Start Mill)

Martin Hemelík

Acta Oeconomica Pragensia 2007, 15(5):5-31 | DOI: 10.18267/j.aop.82  

Several years before his death John Stuart Mill wrote three essays. His stepdaughter Helen Taylor edited these interesting essays in 1874 in London. The article deals with some main problems which J. S. Mill analyzed in his texts, for example: the analysis of the concept of nature, considerations about the human nature and the role of understanding in the human knowledge, the problem of human rational and right action, the utility of religion (first of all of "religion of humanity"), the question of Naturam sequi as the fundamental principle of morals etc. To considerate or to reflect on these ideas is an excellent oportunity for author of article...

To the Anniversary of Auguste Comte: A Positivistic Concept of Spontaneous Genesis of Language

Ján Pavlík

Acta Oeconomica Pragensia 2007, 15(5):32-82 | DOI: 10.18267/j.aop.83  

The study consists of two parts; the first of them includes a general characteristics of Comte as a liquidator of philosophy, as a messenger of unifying systemization, and as a romantic humanitarian; it further comprehends the grasping of Comte's influence on T. G. Masaryk (especially the filiation Comte-Brentano-Masaryk) as well as on F. X. Šalda (mainly his being inspired by Comte's idea of the government of the deads over the living). In the second part, there can be found an analysis of Comte's understanding of spontaneous evolution and some critical comments on Comte's conception of the spontaneous emergence of language - it is seen as a prelude...

Contradictions in Mill's Ethics

Jiří Vaněk

Acta Oeconomica Pragensia 2007, 15(5):83-89 | DOI: 10.18267/j.aop.85  

The essay is the contribution to analysis of the determination and addition of the utility. There are shown the contradictions between quantitative and qualitative thinking about the problems of utility for the individual and for multitude people in society. In this interpretation rised also the contradictions between subjective preference of value and quality of the happiness.

Logic of John Stuart Mill

Miroslav Vacura

Acta Oeconomica Pragensia 2007, 15(5):90-108 | DOI: 10.18267/j.aop.87  

Article provides short overview and analysis of fundamental concepts of logic of John Stuart Mill as presented in his monumental work - System of Logic. At beginning Mill's approach to semantics is presented, following with his theory of proposition. Next section deals with reasoning and is generally focused on Mill's interpretation of syllogism. Final part of text introduces problem of necessary truths and analyses Mill's approach to theorems of arithmetic, geometry and logic.

J. S. Mill's Methodology of Political Economy

Marek Hudík

Acta Oeconomica Pragensia 2007, 15(5):109-123 | DOI: 10.18267/j.aop.88  

The article deals with Mill's views on methodology. The place taken by political economy in the general classification of knowledge is shown. This includes: natural distinction between physical and moral sciences (including non-reducibility of mental phenomena to physical phenomena) and definition of political economy as a separate science. Further, the concept of economic man as introduced by Mill is presented. Two methods, which Mill saw as appropriate for studying social phenomena - i. e. concrete deductive method and inverse deductive method - are examined. Finally, marginalist reinterpretation of Mill's methodology is suggested. This reinterpretation...