Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Project ON
SUBMITTED BY:
Pankaj Sharma
Roll no. 100
SECTION A
SEMESTER II, B.A. LLB(HONS.)
SUBMITTED ON:
October 0, 2016
I feel highly elated to work on the project J.S. Mill Idea on Liberty. The practical realisation
of the project has obligated the assistance of many persons. Firstly I express my deepest gratitude
towards Dr. B.K.Mahakul, Faculty of Political Thought, to provide me with the opportunity to
work on this project. His able guidanceship and supervision were of extreme help in
understanding and carrying out the nuances of this project.
I would also like to thank The University and the Vice Chancellor for providing extensive
database resources in the library and for the internet facilities provided by the University.
Some printing errors might have crept in which are deeply regretted. I would be grateful to
receive comments and suggestions to further improve this project.
Pankaj Sharma
Roll No. 100
Semester II
Section A,
Batch XIV
Contents
CHAPTER I- INTRODUCTION 4
Research Methodology
Objectives of Study
Scope of Study
Organization of study
Overview of Literature
CHAPTER II- LIFE OF J.S MILL ..7
CHAPTER III- MILLS CONCEPT OF LIBERTY ..10
CHAPTER IV- CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ESSAY ON LIBERTY ..13
CHAPTER V- CONCLUSION ...14
BIBLIOGRAPHY
J.S. Mill concludes the Introduction by discussing what he claimed were the three basic liberties
in order of importance:
1. The freedom of thought and emotion. This includes the freedom to act on such thought,
i.e. freedom of speech
2. The freedom to pursue tastes (provided they do no harm to others), even if they are
deemed "immoral"
3. The freedom to unite so long as the involved members are of age, the involved members
are not forced, and no harm is done to others
4
Research Methodology
This Research Project is descriptive and analytical in nature. Accumulation of the information on
the topic includes wide use of primary sources cases as well as secondary sources like books, earticles etc. The matter from these sources have been compiled and analysed to understand the
concept. Websites and articles have also been referred.
Objectives of study
The objectives of the current project are:
1. To Analyze the Mills Idea on liberty.
2. To Examine the Critical Analysis On Liberty
Overview of Literature
1. Grover, Brij and Prem arora, western and Indian Political thinkers, 2 nd
edition, cosmos bookhive Ltd.
This book talks about the J.S. Mill Lifes and his work and concept On
Liberty.
2. John Stuart Mill: critical assessments, Volume 4, By John Cunningham
Wood
This book emphasized on the critical review of the J.S. Mill concept on
Liberty.
3. Subrata Mukherjee, Susheela Ramaswamy, A History of Political
thought
From this book, I took the various criticism of the concept of J.S. Mill on
Liberty.
exercise a tyrannical power even outside the political realm, when forces such as public opinion
stifle individuality and rebellion. Here, society itself becomes the tyrant by seeking to inflict its
will and values on others. Next, Mill observes that liberty can be divided into three types, each of
which must be recognized and respected by any free society. First, there is the liberty of thought
and opinion. The second type is the liberty of tastes and pursuits, or the freedom to plan our own
lives. Third, there is the liberty to join other like-minded individuals for a common purpose that
does not hurt anyone. Each of these freedoms negates societys propensity to compel
compliance.6 Mill states that two maxims together form the entire doctrine of the essay. The
first maxim is that the individual is not accountable to society for his actions, in so far as these
concern the interests of no person but himself, and the second is that for such actions as are
prejudicial to the interests of others, the individual is accountable, and may be subjected either to
social or to legal punishment, if society is of the opinion that the one or the other is requisite for
its protection.7 Mill sidesteps this dilemma by delving into moral theory, where the only
important thing is the happiness of the individual, and such happiness may only be attained in a
civilized society, in which people are free to engage in their own interests, with all their skills
and capabilities, which they have developed and honed in a good system of education. Thus, Mill
stresses the fundamental value of individuality, of personal development, both for the individual
and society for future progress.
Mill view on individual liberty is that society must be given power to curtail behavior that harms
others, but no more. Mills twofold argument. First, individuals are not accountable to society for
behavior and actions that affect only them. Second, a person is answerable for any type of
behavior or action that harms others, and in such cases it is the responsibility of society to punish
and curtail such behavior and action.
6 http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/mill/section3
7 http://www.enotes.com/topics/on-liberty
11
Chapter-3
CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ESSAY ON LIBERTY
As Mill states in his autobiography, his essay On Liberty was first conceived as a short essay
in 1854. Over time as development of new ideas took place, he expanded and rewrote his work.
His wife, Harriet Taylor was a significant part of the writing, though some scholars debate the
extent of her influence on his thoughts. Mill starts off by emphasizing the struggle between
authority and liberty. He explicitly describes the tyrannical authority of the government, which
according to him needed to be controlled by the liberty of the citizens. He supplements that
without such limit to authority, the government attains a form of a dangerous weapon . He
divides the limits to be imposed to control the authority into two mechanisms; the necessary
rights belonging to citizens and the establishment of constitutional checks to which the consent
of the entire community was available for the enactment of important acts of the governing
powers. Mill suggests that the people would be contented to be ruled by a master , provided his
rule guards them against tyranny. However, the development of democracy soon took place
where there was no fear of tyranny over oneself. This, as Mill puts, is illusionary, as the people
who exercise powers in the democracy are not always the same people over whom the powers
are exercised. Further, he highlights one more demerit, saying that the democratic functions can
only be carried out by a majority, and if consequently the majority wishes to operate against a
particular minority section of the society, it can easily be done despite keeping in consideration,
the wishes of the minority. This, he describes as tyranny of the majority Mill holds the view
that the tyranny of the majority is worse than the tyranny of the government because it crosses
8 Mill, John Stuart, On Liberty, Harvard Classics: Volume 25, p 258, PF Collier & Sons
Company New York 1909
12
According to Mill, for exercising power over an individual there is only one legitimate
reason: That the only purpose for which powers can be exercised over any member of a
civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. The development of the
harm principle in On Liberty is mentioned by Mill. The harm principle regards that each
individual has the right to act as he wants, so long as his acts do not adversely affect the person
undertaking the action, then the society has no right to intervene, even if the person committing
such act is harming himself. Exceptions to this principle, as enshrined by Mill, are those who are
not capable of self government; i.e. young children, those living in backward states of society,
etc. Furthermore, Mill states that one may accept despotism over barbarians if it is for their
betterment, but this is only applicable if the barbarians are non-age and cannot be sovereign
over self. As soon as these people are capable of deciding for themselves, they should be given
liberty from authority.10 As an illustration to this principle, the example of Charlemagne and
Akbar the great was used, who were compassionate dictators who controlled and supposedly
helped the barbarians At this point, Mill divides human liberty when its private, into various
manifestations. They include :
(a) The freedom to think as one wishes, and to feel as one does. This includes the freedom to
opinion, and includes the freedom to publish opinions known as the freedom of speech,
9 John Stuart Mill's Social and Political Thought: Critical Assessments, by John Stuart
Mill
10 John Stuart Mill: critical assessments, Volume 4, By John Cunningham Wood
13
Chapter-4
CONCLUSION
To conclude, the researcher feels that Mill was very contemporary in his thoughts and views on
the principles of liberty as he highlighted it in his essay On Liberty. This can be further
supported by quoting a paragraph from chapter one of his essay, On Liberty. The sole end for
which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of
action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be
rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent
harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant. He cannot
rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will
make him happier, because, in the opinion of others, to do so would be wise, or even right...The
only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns
others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over
himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign This paragraph much
highlights that the notions of liberty as advocated by Mill were quite contemporary and can be
highly regarded and justified in todays context. Therefore, the essay On Liberty can be
15
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Webliography
www.sparknotes.com
www.scribd.com
www.academia.com
www.enotes.com
www.lawnotes.com
16