John Stuart Mill
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In chapter two of On Liberty, John Stuart Mill presents his utilitarian based arguments for why no leader has a right to limit or repress dissenting speech. Mill makes many contentions in his argument, chief among them that the majority benefit from free speech because it progresses truth in society. Mill contends that if the collective nation is not able to comment and debate and idea then it has no use or truth. Mill sees free speech as a social utility and if open expression is allowed society gains a greater understanding of the truth. Mill contends that many ideologies, like Christianity, are not the “whole” truth, and, that limiting expression of opposing points of view to Christianity prevents a more well-rounded truth from evolving in society. However, if individuals are permitted to comment and debate ideas openly, as vile as they may be to the hearer of them, then a process of discovering truth that is more whole emerges in society. Mill argues there are three main benefits that accrue to society by not silencing discussion of any kind. First, by allowing the expression of different views in open debate we arrive at a greater understanding of truth. He believes that until ideas are expressed and meet with critical attack they are not worthy of being implemented in society. Mill believes that even wrong opinions should be expressed freely because, if not, society will lose something in the process, “When there are perso
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Therefore, he feels that when a leader, government or other authority silences expression they are implying that their views, ideas and “truths” are infallible, “If any opinion is compelled to silence, that opinion may, for aught we can certainly know, be true. To deny this is to assume our own infallibility” (Mill 18). We can see how these views are fully in line with utilitarian philosophy, in that Mill believes it is better to allow individual expression of even the most heretical nature as opposed to risking losing the greater good that it promotes for society as a whole-a higher understanding of the truth.
Mill understands that no truth is the whole truth, and that whatever truth is considered to be it has generally evolved as a hodge-podge phenomenon that acquires bits and pieces of truth from various ideas of expression. He does a good job at making the distinction between popular opinions and heretical opinions. He believes that society evolve on the whole where truth is concerned from a process of back and forth discourse and dialectic which allows for open expression of opposing rational opinions. When an opinion is popular Mill feels that it often is an exaggeration or distortion of the whole truth, and, conversel
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Approximate Word count = 1292
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)
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