Turn to Empire Imperial Liberalism and Its Critics

Mills on Liberty

John Stuart Mill's on Liberty

To whom does Mill's principle of liberty apply? To whom does it NOT apply? Mill justifies the liberty principle according to "the permanent interests of man as a progressive being" (On Liberty, p. 4). What are the strengths and weaknesses of this argument?

Liberty should apply to everyone with a few exceptions. First, liberty should only be granted to the extent in which this liberty does not harm another's liberty. This is known as the harm principle. People should be granted liberty however the right to liberty must stop when it hinders on someone else's well-being. The same principle can also be applied to help others prevent self-harm. For example, children and "backwards" people are unable to prevent self-harm to themselves when granted too much liberty. Therefore, Mill's believes that in such examples despotism is appropriate so long as the ruler is benevolent in their leadership.

Mill's liberty principle promises an extraordinary degree of freedom to individuals. Give some examples.

Mill's believes that people should be free to follow their own intellectual, spiritual, and bodily development as they see fit. This is to be protected at all costs; even if this is at the opposition of the majority position. For example, religions freedoms should be protected for each individual regardless of the majority's opinion. Therefore, atheist's rights should be protected from the "tyranny of the majority" even when the majority of people in the society might be Christian.

3. Mill distinguishes between "self-regarding" and "other-regarding" acts. How plausible is this distinction? According to one possible interpretation, there are no purely self-regarding acts, because everything we do affects others in some way. But it Mill was concerned with actions affecting the interests of other individuals. Recall Mill's defense of the liberty principle, where he alludes to "the permanent interests of man as a progressive being." Interests are not merely wishes or desires, which are ephemeral, and more or less subjective. So what are they, according to Mill?