Mill’s On Liberty Chapters IV and V: Mapping* the Boundary between Individual Liberty and Social Control

0.0(0)
studied byStudied by 0 people
learnLearn
examPractice Test
spaced repetitionSpaced Repetition
heart puzzleMatch
flashcardsFlashcards
Card Sorting

1/15

flashcard set

Earn XP

Description and Tags

theres an immmage study it plz

Study Analytics
Name
Mastery
Learn
Test
Matching
Spaced

No study sessions yet.

16 Terms

1
New cards

Freedom of Opinion: Ground 1

Silenced opinions might be true. Suppressing them assumes our infallibility.

2
New cards

Freedom of Opinion: Ground 2

False opinions often contain part of the truth; only through open debate can we approach full truth.

3
New cards

Freedom of Opinion: Ground 3

Even true beliefs become dead dogmas if not challenged; understanding requires defending beliefs.

4
New cards

Freedom of Opinion: Ground 4

Without challenge, belief loses meaning and motivational force—it becomes hollow and rote.

5
New cards

Dead Dogma

A belief held without understanding or reflection, due to lack of opposition or questioning.

6
New cards

Individuality

Essential for human development; we grow by choosing and pursuing our own “experiments in living.”

7
New cards

Mill’s Perfectionism

Emphasizes development of human capacities (thought, judgment, action) over mere pleasure.

8
New cards

Principle of Liberty

Individuals are free to act unless their actions cause harm to others—not just offense or annoyance.

9
New cards

What Counts as “Harm”?

Harm must involve real damage or risk—emotional offense or moral dislike doesn't qualify.

10
New cards

No Parity of Feelings

Mill claims offense at others’ actions (e.g., worship) is not equal to freedom to act; offense isn’t harm.

11
New cards

Sidgwick’s Critique

Argues Mill underestimates risks of offense; strong presumptive harms may justify limiting liberty.

12
New cards

Justifiable Paternalism

Limited to cases where individuals are uninformed, immature, intoxicated, or irrational.

13
New cards

Mill on Alcohol

Opposes prohibition; supports regulation only when drink causes harm or violates obligations.

14
New cards

Prior Restraint

Mill opposes pre-emptively restricting liberty (e.g., banning access to alcohol or speech) unless harm is clear.

15
New cards

Regulating Procreation

Mill controversially allows state limits on reproduction if children’s lives would be harmed.

16
New cards

Image

Image

<p>Image</p>