One of the largest influences on modern American political philosophy, John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty argues that society and the government is too stringent regarding people’s behavior. These strict expectations, he claims, limits individualism and genius, both vital to humanity’s progress (62). To rectify this, Mill believes that as long as one’s behavior doesn’t pose any direct threat to another, it should not be limited. While society may not approve of a member’s actions, it shouldn’t attempt to interfere or use social methods of conditioning behavior such as embarrassment (77). Mill anticipates some criticism by admitting that all actions affect others to some degree. In the example he gives in his book, a man may be prone to extravagant spending and is therefore unable to provide for his family or pay off his debts. This man may be punished, though not for the spending; rather, he should be punished for neglecting his familial and financial obligations (79). While Mill seems to have made many valid arguments, they are potentially quite problematic.
While there are many self-regarding actions seemingly ignored by Mill, perhaps the most important and most problematic is that of suicide. At first glance, suicide appears to fit JS Mill’s examples of behavior not to be constrained. It does not directly hurt another, especially when compared to its sister, homicide. Furthermore, the problem many have with suicide is morally or religiously based, which alone, by Mill’s standards, is not enough to require intervention. But it is this concept of direct damage and intervention that makes suicide a complication to Mill’s model. In his book Le Suicide, Emile Durkheim challenges John Stuart Mill’s concept of self-contained behavior throu...
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...ny other philosophers, left some important concepts out of his arguments, ultimately making them incomplete and incorrect.
Works Cited
Chibbaro, Lou, Jr. "Spotlight on Bullying after Rash of Teen Suicides." Washington Blade. WashingtonBlade.com, 8 Oct. 2010. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.
Donaldson James, Susan. "Kipp Rusty Walker Kills Self on Oregon Stage." ABC News. ABC News Network, 18 Apr. 2013. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.
Durkheim, Émile. Suicide, a Study in Sociology:. Glencoe, IL: Free, 1951. Print.
Greenfield, Rebecca. "What Happens to a Twitter Account That Becomes a Suicide Note? - The Wire." The Wire. TheWire.com, 8 Jan. 2013. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.
Mill, John Stuart, and Elizabeth Rapaport. On Liberty. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 1978. Print.
Smith, Catharine. "Man Posts Suicide Note To Twitter." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 16 June 2010. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.
From top to bottom, John Stuart Mill put forth an incredible essay depicting the various unknown complexities of morality. He has a remarkable understanding and appreciation of utilitarianism and throughout the essay the audience can grasp a clearer understanding of morality. Morality, itself, may never be totally defined, but despite the struggle and lack of definition it still has meaning. Moral instinct comes differently to everyone making it incredibly difficult to discover a basis of morality. Society may never effectively establish the basis, but Mill’s essay provides people with a good idea.
***Mill spends a substantial amount of time exhibiting his harm principle by saying, “that actions can only be punished when they harm others.”2 I feel that the most primitive and obvious issue is whether Mill’s harm princi...
For Mill, the freedom that enables each individual to explore his or her own particular way of life is essential for a generous and diverse development of humanity. The only source of potential within society to further continue human development is the spontaneity or creativity that lies within each individual. Mill has a utilitarian view on freedom. He was especially keen on individual liberty because it allowed the greatest measure of happiness. His concern is not to declare liberty as a natural right but to rather set out the appropriate constraints within ‘Civil or Social liberty’. Civil liberty is defined as the limit society can exert its legitimate power over each individual and social liberty has much to do with a political principle
In John Stuart Mill’s literature (575-580), he describes a system of ethics which he dubs as Utilitarianism. Mill’s Utilitarianism is unique because it is a Consequentialist theory – it focuses on the consequences of things, rather than individual processes involved. In other words, Mill argues that, for an action to be morally correct, it must solely contribute towards benefitting the greater good and maximizing humanity’s happiness. I argue that this ethical theory is flawed and cannot be used as a standard to gauge the morality of our actions because, since Utilitarianism is so entrenched on the outcomes that are produced, it has the potential to sanction clearly wrong actions, so long as they promote the general welfare. In this critique,
...ave the freedm to make mistakes and have discussions and debates in a healthy setting where others can learn from each other, and be able to raise their voice without having to be worried by the idea of being bullied. He strongly believed in having the freedom to develop your own personality and having the strength to make choices. Mills is only able to see progress in society if we enter a world of culture, free conformity, and harm. We must be given the right to free expression, freedom and the right to liberty without the fear of threat or being silenced. It’s because of these justifications that mill believes that mankind would not be justified in silencing an individual just like that one inidivdual, if given the power to do so, would not be justified in silencing all of mankind. Through these actions, we as humans will create the ultimate gaood for mankind.
6. Laura Dolce, The Encyclopedia of Health: Suicide, (New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 1992), 33.
So begin the episodes of anguished soul-searching, of horrific "if-onlys" experienced by the family members of countless suicides. Anyone who has faced what Mr. and Mrs. A now grapple with knows that the girl is wrong: they will not be better off, not feel happier, without her. Yet each year, thousands of suicide victims express similar convictions: I am killing myself, they reassure us, for your own good. This thinking – this appeal for selflessness that our society cannot condone – where does it come from? Why, in truth, do people kill themselves?
Mill’s concept of liberty focused on the individuals and ”defend the rights of individuals which involved civil liberties, individuality and personal autonomy” (Gabriel, 2010). In Mill’s book itself ‘On Liberty’ pointed out a few thoughts and ideas regarding how liberty of individuals and the response from the author...
Suicide due to bullying has been given the name of bullycide. One example of bullycide would be Jon Carmichael from Texas who was bullied so harshly that “one day they stripped him naked, tied him up, and stuck him in a trash can, and they taped it with their cell phones and put it all on You Tube” per his mother’s account (Texas Monthly, Hollandsworth). A few days later Jon was found hanging by a rafter from their barn after committing suicide. The perpetrators of this abuse were his fellow classmates and it is reported that “60% of boys who bullied others in middle school had at least one criminal conviction by the age of 24; 40% had three or more convictions” (van der Valk, 41). Bullying behavior not only negatively affects the victims that are singled out and tormented, but from a legal perspective can lead to long term criminal
School shootings and suicides result from continuous bullying. As a result, after time some side effects of...
Suicide AwarenessVoices of Education (SAVE) proclaims, “When a person faces his grief, allows his feelings to come, speaks of his grief...it is then that the focus is to move from death and dying and to promote...
With each analysis the reader gets a greater understanding of suicide and the mental state of those who commit it, as well as some of their motives. One could read only a single chapter of this book and gain a greater understanding than they previously had on the topic of suicide, but when one brings all the chapters together as a whole a much deeper understanding is obtained. Lester’s analyses start with diaries, using that of a girl he has called Katie as his first example. In this 14 page chapter he analyses her diary, not only comparing her to Ophelia from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but using that comparison to show some of her motives and to make sense of them. It is this astute analysis that sets the tone for the rest of the similar chapters, in a way that is not boring but is not lighthearted in the slightest. The way that the whole book works together to give one insight on the topic of suicide makes it a useful resource for those who wish to understand it in a more in-depth way.
John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) completely changed definition of nineteenth century British views and political discussion. Mill argues for essential experimentation in logic and mathematics implying the primary principles of logic and mathematics are observations instead than know as a priori. Mill's principle of utility is that “actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness” (Mills, J., 1852), this was Mill's focus on ethical philosophy. Utilitarianism suggest an applicant for a prime criterion of morality, a criterion that contributes one with proof differentiating right and wrong. The utilitarian applicant is the criterion of utility, which states that “actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain and the privation of pleasure.” (IEP, 2014)
McSWAIN, STEPHANIE, DAVID LESTER, and JOHN F. GUNN III. "Warning Signs For Suicide In Internet Forums." Psychological Reports 111.1 (2012): 186-188. Business Source Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.
middle of paper ... ... Philosophers, such as John Stuart Mill, have debated the role and the extension of government in the people’s lives for centuries. Mill presents a clear and insightful argument, claiming that the government should not be concerned with the free will of the people unless explicit harm has been done to an individual. However, such ideals do not build a strong and lasting community. It is the role of the government to act in the best interests at all times through the prevention of harm and the encouragement of free thought.