Hobhouse’s chapter in which he argues that Mill’s attempt to theorise liberalism was problematic because it was too ‘individualistic’.

Read Hobhouse’s chapter, taking notes on his ideas as you do so.
According to Hobhouse, Mill’s attempt to theorise liberalism was problematic because it was too ‘individualistic’. He meant that Mill seems to think that personal development is a strictly individual matter and that society was only a source of repression, i.e. society seeks to impose conformity and prevent personal development. Hobhouse argues that personal development is never only an individual matter and always a ‘social’ one. He agrees that there can be repressive social relations, which should be abolished because we all need society to be organised to support our progressive development. He goes on to argue that we can replace all repressive social relations with progressive ones. ‘The Heart of Liberty’ is about the principles which should guide our efforts to build a society which supports individual progress for everyone.
Write 300 words on one of these tasks. (Hobhouse’s ideas are all related to each other, so writing on one task will involve giving some thought to others.)
Show how Hobhouse argues that true liberalism is ‘social’ rather than individualistic
Show how Hobhouse develops the idea that we have ‘organic’ raelationships with one another.
Show how Hobhouse relates our ‘individual good’ to our ‘common good’?
Show how Hobhouse argues that we should only have individual rights which are compatible with the common good.