`` On Liberty `` By John Stuart Mill - 1458 Words

John 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, could not. This was just one question of liberty brought up during the time Mill was developing intellectually (Sparks 186). Mill wrote many works that trifled with the idea of gender equality, government structure, and economic principles, to name a†¦show more content†¦The largest and arguably most influential point Mill makes in his essay is that the harm principle does not only apply to the government anymore but to all of society. In making this argument he is defining societal value s in that it shaped areas in which society must respect personal liberties. He constructs his statement on how the harm principle is applied to society in three parts. His first assertion pertains to the liberty of one’s own mind. He states, â€Å"the inward domain of consciousness; demanding liberty of conscience, in the most comprehensive sense; liberty of thought and feeling; absolute freedom of opinion and sentiment on all subjects, practical or speculative, scientific, moral, or theological† (Mill 20). In saying this, Mill means that a person’s liberty cannot be persecuted if they never act on them. Any thoughts a man may have are his own thoughts and he may think whatever he would like to think. This has shaped societal values because no one is truly obligated to share what they think today, nor is it a societal norm to criticize one’s opinions if they differ from your own but it does happen. His second statement addresses the control one individual can have over another. He claims that an individual can plan their life as they please, and should not be met with the pressure of what others may see as being abnormal (Mill 20). By saying this, Mill expresses theShow MoreRelatedThe On Liberty By John Stuart Mills2164 Words   |  9 Pages ON LIBERTY In John Stuart Mills’ profound work, On Liberty he preaches against the conformity of the nations and outwardly encourages and restlessly defends voice of the individual. The philosopher expresses the importance of individuality by warning against forces such as the government and other citizens silencing their opinion. Though Mill’s gives due recognition to virtues such as free speech, liberty and individualism he also rightly places limitations on our freedoms to ensureRead MoreIndividualism And Liberty By John Stuart Mill1196 Words   |  5 Pages In the essay, Liberty, written by John Stuart Mill, Mill states that individualism is the theory that â€Å"[o]ver himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign† (7). Before coming to this conclusion, Mill first explains that individualism and liberty were defined in ways far different from definitions now and that true individualism did not exist until later in history. It takes him several paragraphs and even chapters to finally suggest that a man, by himself, is free to do whatRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill s On Liberty1700 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Stuart Mill’s â€Å"On Liberty† essay, published in 1859, portrays Mill’s perception of liberty with an emphasis on individuality. 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