John Stuart Mill and the practice of liberty : a study of John Stuart Mill's essay "On liberty"
Date
1984
Authors
Getz, Russell John
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Abstract
The thesis gives an account of Mill's defence of liberty in the essay "On Liberty" and critically examines Mill's arguments therein. In Chapters One and Two, we consider Mill's principle of liberty, which is mainly dealt with in Chapters One, Four and Five of "On Liberty." We also consider the purported utilitarian justification of the liberty principle. In Chapters Three and Four, we analyze Mill's theory of the liberty of thought and discussion, and his theory of individuality, respectively. In Chapter Five we return to a consideration of the true nature of Mill's justification of liberty, in the light of our inquiry in the preceding chapters. Wherever possible, Mill's arguments are dealt with in the same order as they appear in "On Liberty."
With respect to the principle of liberty, it is argued that Mill's concept of harm or injury to others is problematic and that the liberty principle is not ultimately a workable guide for delimiting the scope of individual liberty. It is also seen that the nature of Mill's justification for the liberty principle is by no means clearly utilitarian in the sense of Mill's essay "Utilitarianism." Mill's theory of liberty of thought and discussion as being necessary to the attainment of vigorous knowledge of truth and also thereby the mental well-being of mankind is seen as compelling and persuasive. Central to Mill's position is his belief in objective truth and in the importance to mankind of the rational search for and appreciation of the truth.
We then turn to a discussion of Mill's account of individuality. Because of the rich variety of senses of individuality present in the limited space of Chapter Three of "On Liberty," it is not always easy to see the exact nature of Mill's conception of human personality, but running throughout the chapter is Mill's concern that although society is conformist, individuals are not naturally the same in all respects. Therefore individual choice and liberty in things which do not harm others are necessary in order to develop our human capacities for thought, judgment, discrimination and creativity. We see that, for Mill, contrary to the views of some critics, variety and eccentricity are not valued for their own sake. We also criticize Mill's overly atomistic view of man's place in society and argue that Mill's practical strategy for securing individuality could be improved by a sense of the need for individuals to seek support from helpful social practices and institutions. Ironically, among these may be some traditions, of which Mill is very critical.
In concluding our study of "On Liberty," we see that despite the inadequacy of the liberty principle, Mill's arguments for liberty of thought and discussion, and for individuality, have enduring value. We see that the justification on which Mill's theory of liberty centres is mankind's capacity for developing our human faculties of mind and character, which he expounds in Chapters Two and Three of "On Liberty." As seen in the essay "On Liberty" and in passages from other relevant works, the justification of liberty in terms of the development of our distinctive human endowments, is underwritten by Mill's confidence in the advancement of knowledge of objective truth.