John Stuart Mill
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John Stuart Mill addresses a number of issues central to the idea of government and to the relationship between government and the governed. One of the key elements in political philosophy is the nature of the relationship between the individual and the state. Generally, this is related by a given philosopher to his or her view of the origin of the state, which in turn determines the nature of the obligation owed by the individual to the state. Mill approaches the obligations of both the state and the individual in terms of his Harm Principle as introduced in On Liberty, a principle addressing the basic issue of when power can be exercised over any individual member of a civilized community against his or her will. Mill says such power cannot be wielded except to prevent harm to others. Mill thus takes an anti-parentalist view. There are those who see the government acting in loco parentis, or in place of the parent, imposing restrictions for the individual's own good. Mill opposes any such notion.Mill begins his discussion of moral theory with a definition of utilitarianism, stating that this is the creed that accepts utility as the foundation of morals, meaning the greatest happiness principle. This holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, and wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. Happiness means the intended pleasure and the absence of pain, while unhappiness means pain and the privation of pleasure. While M
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ference. He says it is also wrong to assume that he is saying no one should concern themselves about the well-being of another unless their own interest is involved. What he is saying is that such interest should be expressed in persuasion and not in compelling behavior or belief. This is especially important in terms of the right of society to enforce morality, which is a matter of belief and is something of which people should be persuaded rather than forced to accept. Mill makes a distinction between that part of one's life that belongs specifically to the individual and that which belongs to society, and belief clearly belongs to the individual, where behavior may belong to society.
Mill's reasons for taking this view begin with the fact that there is a tacit agreement between society and the individual that because the individual receives the protection of society, he or she owes a return for this benefit. The mere fact that one lives in society means that one is bound to observe certain conduct toward the others in society:
Every one who receives the protection of society owes a return for the benefit, and the fact of living in society renders it indispensable that each should be bound to observe a certain line of conduc
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Approximate Word count = 2754
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)
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