However, these overriding laws do not extend over all aspects of life and many people may still feel disadvantaged by the democratic system and majority’s rule.
This is the reason civil rights laws were designed to protect the minorities, even if the majority decides it’s okay to abuse or bully them. He raised concerns about the democratic system and elective government, noting that the “will of the people”, is in fact the will of the most numerous or the most active part of the people, which is not necessarily the best for everyone as all people are different.
Mill held a utilitarian view that our actions should maximizing happiness and reducing suffering. However, his work cannot be used as a complete guideline for our society because it contains a number of grey areas and contradictions. Mill’s liberty principle appeals to many people in Western liberal democracies as it aligns with values of freedom and individualism. Mills ideas (written in the 19th century) are still subject to on-going discussions, namely on topics such as gay marriage and legalisation of cannabis.
Mill harm principle summary free#
This principal (applicable both to political and individual morality) holds that not the state, nor anybody else, should interfere in anyone’s activities unless those activities will harm somebody other than themselves (he believed people should be free to hurt themselves if they wanted). Mill’s liberty principle (also known as the harm principle) is the idea that each individual has the right to act as he/she wants, as long as these actions do not harm others (Mill, 1860).
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