MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL THEORY

John stuart Mill: On Liberty (1859)

Who or what exercise power over individuals in a society?

 According to Mill, GOVERNMENT, whether authoritarian, democratic or monarchial are always a threat
to individual liberty.
 Mill recognized the threat of government’s post but he also postulated that there is a subtle and more
anonymous social force which also destroys the freedom of individuals. Every society comes to adopt
customs, belief, opinions and attitudes which are accepted by the majority as the right way of thinking
and living.
 Mill called this social force the “TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY” and claimed it to be the primarily
manufacturer of conformity.

How are freedoms destroyed?

 Government who maintains a monopoly legitimized force within a certain area, coerced individuals with
force and any individual who tries to evade the dictates of the government, faces imprisonment or even
death.
 The tyranny of the majority on the other hand, must use ostracism and criticism to impose their way of
living on individuals.

The limits of liberty

 Mill thought that society had the right to exercise power over the individuals with a limited domain. To
delineate where he thought, it was appropriate for the society to exercise power and where it was not.
 Mill differentiated 2 types of actions: SELF REGARDING ACTION and OTHER REGARDING ACTION.

 action which directly affect  action which directly affect other

only the individual performing
the action
 Disallowed by the government
or someone analogous to
what are called victimous
crimes, such as the use of illicit
drugs
individuals
 Mill maintained that if individual
performs an action which harms
another individual or which
encroaches on their basic rights,
then, such an individual should
be punished and if needed
incarcerated.

The freedom of Opinion and Expression

 Mill proposed that the freedom to entertain the wild varieties of ideas and to express those ideas without
fear of punishment, was not only crucial to the healthy development of individuals but also of society at
large.

The danger of suppressing ideas

 Mill proposed that in suppressing an idea a society runs the risk that it is suppressing the truth.
 A true idea Mill proposed retained it strength and vigor, only so long as it’s constantly under attack by
conflicting ideas.
 Once a true idea is accepted as absolute and labeled as untouchable, it loses all that which makes true
valuable.
The cultivation of individuality

 The freedom to be unique and eccentric is Mill held essential for social progress
 “EXPERIMENTS OF LIVING”--these experiments are what drives individual and social development.

Nonconformity

 Nonconformity is only for the sake of breaking the chains of custom displaying two people that different
way of living and thinking are possible.
 Only in a society where nonconformity and eccentricity are pervasive that social progress is achievable.

Misunderstanding Liberty

 People misunderstands the importance of individual liberty and think that individual freedom should be
sacrificed for the greater good.
 GREATER GOOD is only served by allowing individuals to do and think as they please so long as their
action do not harm other.

Prepared by: Lourizel Donato Calica

BAPS IV

Instructor: Fritz Krieg Allawey