John Stuart Mill (1806-73)

Mill context

• son of utilitarian philosopher James Mill

• author of ‘On liberty’(1859)

• provided a bridge between classical liberalism and modern liberalism

  • developmental individualism

    • 150 years after Locke

• Mill is concerned about social tyranny and social conformity to rules

• was close friends with utalitarian Jeremy Bentham

Mill-Human nature

• harm principle-anything that is causing significant ham or violating others natural rights should not be tolerated by a liberal state

  • Mill valued diverse opinions because it would ensure that new ideas emerged while bad ideas were exposed via open , rational debate

• Mill did not just want to liberate individuals but he pondered on their potential

  • developmental liberalism

Mill-the state

• Mill feared that a democratic state had the potential to create a tyranny of the majority

• Mill favoured proportional representation and electoral reform

  • enlarged electorate who would not make policy decisions themselves but elect representatives. These representatives should make their decisions based on not only the majority view, but also seeking to aggregate the various opinions in society as to produce broadest consent of all

• Against direct democracy - he thought that govt by consent could be compromised if that wishes of minority were overwhelmed by wishes of majority - tyranny of majority

• Also argued for universal education.

  • This is bc he believed most voters were ill-equipped to choose representatives to act rationally on their behalf, so universal education must come before universal suffrage in order to promote developmental individualism.

Mill-society

• ‘it is better to be Socrates’ dissatisfied than a pig’s satisfied’

  • proposed that there were higher and lower pleasures within life

  • he departs from Bentham’s view of what constitutes happiness

• argued that state can only justify limiting our actions when those actions impinge on the rights/ freedom of others

  • known as the harm principle

• warns against the despotism of custom

  • mediocrity of public opinion

  • dull conformity

    • we may never know if a silenced belief is true

  • however this seeks to crush self-expression within society

  • opinion that is not regularly challenged can lead to ‘dead dogma’

  • what previously used to hold wisdom may no longer hold that status

  • so we must be free to question beliefs within society

Mill-the economy

• favoured a laissez-faire economy

  • vital to ensure progress within an economy and to promote individualism

• aligns with his view of negative freedom-freedom from restraint