Publication Details

Abstract

The author examines the concept of the art of life on the background of taking care of the self and others. His conclusion is that for Mill there are two patterns of right life. In the 3rd edition of his System of Logic (1851) he gives a brief outline of the art of life, i.e. the symbiosis of the good, truth and beauty, which should help an individual to achieve happiness in her/his life. This idea of the art of life he later developed in his works On Liberty (1859) and Utilitarianism (1861). Especially in the first one he was concerned with fundamental attributes of taking care of the self and others in the context of practicing liberty. Liberty is the presupposition of the individual’s well-being and as such it contributes to utility which is the fundamental principle of ethics. Self-cultivation and perfection of individual’s morality make for Mill the fundament of the individual’s as well as humankind’s self-fulfillment. Taking care of the self includes the duty to care for the others, i.e. the obligation to contribute to their well-being.