John Stuart Mill Harm Principle - 999 Words

Mill’s Harm Principle English philosopher John Stuart Mill is the author of the essay titled â€Å"On Liberty.† It is known as one of the classic texts on modern liberalism as well as been hugely influential in politics, even more than we might realize. He asks the question, â€Å"When can the government restrict your freedoms and when can they not?† His simple yet very famous answer is known as the â€Å"Harm Principle† which basically states that if your actions harms somebody else then the government has a legal and moral right to step in and intervene and quite possibly punish you for those actions. This being said, my stance with this principle is positive and I agree with certain points Mill is making throughout his essays. On the other hand,†¦show more content†¦As long as people in a community are all on the same page about the difference between the two, things would go a lot smoother if this principle was in full force today. Harm to oth er is a necessary but not sufficient condition for curbing liberties. Now, Mill does not think that the â€Å"Harm Principle† applies to everybody. This meaning that children, people who are not considered legal adults in their community, i.e. people under the age of 18 and also people whose mind is not developed into adulthood and whose possibly never will i.e. people with special needs. This part of the principle I do agree with and will stand by. I agree that paternalism should be okay for children, they need to be protected. Adults on the other hand even if they are wrong about the way you think they should live their lives, adults should be left alone to make their own mistakes or to do as they please, again, as long as they are not placing harm on anyone else. The following statement is true about the â€Å"Harm Principle, â€Å"Your freedom ends where my nose begins.† What this basically means is you can say or do whatever you please as long as it does not harm me in any way. An example to help clarify further would be this. If a person wants to drink themselves to death, then that is their right and should be able to do so as long as no harm comes to other. But, if that person decides to get behind the wheel of a car, the state has the right to step in a say, â€Å"No.† ThatShow MoreRelatedThe Harm Principle of John Stuart Mill2017 Words   |  9 PagesThe Harm Principle of John Stuart Mill For John Stuart Mill, he was a strong believer in utilitarianism. As he says in his essay, â€Å"...Liberty consists in doing what one desires.† (393). He believed that whatever may make somebody happy is what they should be allowed to do, as long as it did not infringe on anybody elses rights in the process of practicing. This is the harm principle. Mill came up with a principle that states that a person should be lawfully allowed to do literally anythingRead MoreJohn Stuart Mills Work881 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Stuart Mill’s work provides a valuable insight to the issue of medicine that harm people in the classical utilitarian. Many people consider that prescription for medical marijuana as a moral sin or something that should be given to help the patients to improve his/her bad condition. As a majority of people and federal consider prescription for medical marijuana is immoral and it is restricted in many states including Texas. In the section on liberty, John StuartRead More`` On Liberty `` By John Stuart Mill1458 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Stuart Mill was an English philosopher and a progressive in British politics during the 17th century. He lived during a time of political transformation in England caused by the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution brought social mobility to the middle and lower class, along with more political participation. With this newfound freedom, the people of England felt their liberties were being diminished because they had the ability to accomplish all the more but in some cases, couldRead MoreAccording to Mills, government should not be attempting to control individual freedoms, but should1100 Words   |  5 Pages According to Mills, government should not be attempting to control individual freedoms, but should be helping individuals develop in society. A society is only as great as the people who are in it. How a person develops shou ld be up to them, but a government should support that development. Ensuring a free flow of factual information and opportunities for open discussion are ways a government can help. Again, he uses history as his support. He says that the history of mankind is a history of intellectualRead MoreAnalysis Of The Text On Liberty By John Stuart Mill1642 Words   |  7 Pagesthe text ‘On Liberty’ by John Stuart Mill, his position with respect to free speech is that even one person had a specific opinion, mankind is not given grounds to silence him. Mill’s argument regarding free speech is valid because he protects the liberty of the individual over the popular opinion of society. I agree with Mill’s point of view because I also believe that everyone should have the voice to express what they wish, excluding when it causes harm to others. Mill begins the text by statingRead MoreThe Work Of Mill : The Foundation Of Liberalism And Modern Day Politics1613 Words   |  7 Pagesstudent protests is â€Å"the nature and limits of the power which can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual† (Mill 1). In other words, who or what has the right to impose restrictions on an individual or on society. The English philosopher, John Stuart Mill, argues such concepts of free expression and political theory in his essay titled, On Liberty. The work of Mill is considered to be the foundation of liberalism and modern day politics. In order to fulfill the idea of perfect libertyRead More`` On The Hunt : Killing, Eating, Respecting Wild Beast, By John Stuart Mill1581 Words   |  7 PagesIn the essay Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill argues the purpose of morality is to create a better world as a whole, or to achieve utility. Mill defines utility as actions that promote happiness and pleasure, with the absence of p ain and suffering and asserts that utilitarianism embodies this concept, as it is a moral theory that encourages and preaches actions that coincide with such ideals. John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism relates to A New Environmental Ethics, authored by Holmes Rolston III,Read MoreThe Philosophical Conflict between Freedom and Authority1286 Words   |  5 Pages(still) most widely-accepted approaches is that offered by the renowned 19th Century philosopher John Stuart Mill, in his 1859 classic On Liberty. However, as pointed out by the 20th Century metaphysician Richard Taylor, the contemporary conclusion that Mills On Liberty provides a solution may not necessarily be accurate. The Inherent Philosophical Conflict between Freedom and Authority In principle, the only person who can be said to be truly and completely free to follow his own will is the individualRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill s On Liberty And Utilitarianism Essay2257 Words   |  10 PagesThis essay examines and inspects liberty and order conflict based on the writings of philosopher John Stuart Mill, titled On Liberty and Utilitarianism. We will discuss how his philosophical views on equality as fundamental to what it means to be human. We will interpret John Stuart Mill’s theorist view on equality as fundamental to the good or bad functioning of the state? The question and debate we would also raise will be, is equality be integral the arrangements of power? Lastly, we wouldRead MoreThe Fundamental Principles Of The Us Constitution1439 Words   |  6 PagesOne of the fundamental principles of the US Constitution is the freedom of speech. Something so ingrained in the country, that it is often an afterthought for many Americans. John Stuart Mill bel ieves that freedom of expression and speech is a necessity for the human race to advance and evolve. Mill’s justification of this absolute freedom come from the understanding that mistakes and choices made by the person leads to progress and the development of your individual self. He also argues that speech