Sons of Liberty

A treatise on liberty and freedom of speech, John Stuart Mill’s 1859 book On Liberty employs philosophical thought to discuss the importance of liberty and when it is or is not right and proper for a government to limit it. In discussing liberty, Mill propositions the “harm principle,” a concept used throughout On Liberty to assess what rights and liberties mankind has, and when they ought to and ought not be curtailed by either the government or societal majorities, with which Mill is more…

Liberalism, throughout centuries, has spread and established its values and ideology on a global scale. However, whilst liberal democracy approached towards a process of political universalisation proposing itself as a role model, a countless number of contradictions and limitations emerged from this political system. The so-called “end of history,” eulogised by Francis Fukuyama and achieved by a victorious liberal democracy, has at the same time fostered scepticism and diffidence in the very…

following tradition. While the main character strictly adheres to custom, J.S. Mill, in his book On Liberty, contradicts the general theme presented in Stein’s novel. Mill promotes the idea of individualism from society and, more importantly, from custom. Through his use of language, imagery, and the Harm Principle, Mill argues for individualism in a stagnant society. Originally, Mill’s essay On Liberty appears wordy and full of repetition; however, it is this use of repetition which aids in…

Question 1: What relevance do you perceive of Spinoza’s political philosophy as a rationalist in understanding the functioning of constitutional regimes and society in contemporary times? Reason out your argument. Answer 1: A civilization of free man would be perfect combination. However, the unrestricted man exists only as a model; all real men are defectively rational. The apprehension of the State is to bring it around that the actual connections between individuals most carefully…

of its citizens. In “On Liberty”, John Stuart Mill provides an answer to this question in the form of the harm principle: the sole reason for interfering with the liberty of an individual is to prevent the harm of others (Mill 1859). This principle states that law or moral condemnation should not be used to alter a person’s behaviour unless they are inflicting harm on other people without their consent. Although the harm principle attempts to protect an individual’s liberty, it evidently…

If one does not give truth a chance to prevail over falsehood, good to triumph over evil, or intelligence to overcome ignorance, then how does one know that they up hold a morally righteous position in society? John Stuart Mill, the author of “On Liberty” argues that freedom of thought, speech, and expression should be absolute no matter how immoral one’s opinion may seem. Mill states “If all of mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one…

John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty attempts to broaden the meaning of utility and depict the usefulness of utilitarianism in terms of right protection. With this, Mill rejects the coercion of conformity and celebrates individuality. His work can be broken down into two basic principles. The first principle establishes that people are not accountable to society for the actions that only concern themselves. The second, also known as the harm principle, establishes that the individual is accountable for…

The Harm Principle: And its Use in Society On Liberty by John Stuart Mill questions the power that can be placed by society over an individual (Bailey and Martin, 200). Mill identifies two different types of actions; self regarding actions, and other regarding actions. When a person is involved in self regarding actions (actions that only affect the individual doing the action), they should not be bothered by the government. Although, when an individual is involved in other regarding actions…

The libertarian argument is deontological, which means that there is a duty to help others. In the Libertarianist case it is the duty to protect the right to private property, the rights to live, to freedom and or liberty. The only rule that goes with the rights and that stops a libertarionist from taking them to an extreme is the obligation to respect the same rights of others and he may not conflict with them pursuing his own. Libertarianism (Latin: liber, “free” and in French:…

Liberalism, race, and contract are all extremely broad terms that encompass a variety of implications and meanings. The definition of each of these terms has evolved throughout history and continues to evolve today. Though these terms all have separate definitions, they have common roots. Liberalism, race, and contract are all elements of the political, social, and racial aspects of America. Liberalism is the base upon which race and contract are built. Liberalism is a political ideology that…