Essay - John Stuart Mill's Concept of Liberty Professes to Be Liberal...

John Stuart Mill's concept of liberty professes to be liberal but ends up with a distinctly 'non-liberal' feel when analysing the details. This paper endeavours ***** define exactly what Mills' notion of liberty is and how it should be regulated by studying h***** book "On Liberty." The main discrepancies of his theory will be highlighted so as to demonstrate the apparent contradiction between his ideology and the examples he chooses ***** showcase ***** theory in its application.

Mill defines liberty (civil or social) as "the nature ***** lim***** ***** the power which can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual." (Chapter I - Introduct*****y; 1) The obvious wielder of this power Mill identified to be ***** government. However the ***** can be controlled or checked in turn since they are still held accountable to the people. Mill recognized another wielder of this control over the individual, the 'society' in question that exercises this power over ***** ********** is the majority or those considered to be ***** majority. However, unlike the g*****nment, which is held ***** to the people, ***** ***** does not have those checks. Mill states ***** in many instances the ruling majority ***** not always the same people who ***** this power exercised on them. The majority may even wish to dominate a p*****rt ***** the population. Therefore, there would ***** need to be a *****itation placed on this ruling majority. (***** I ***** Introduc*****ry; 4)

The re*****on behind the importance in limiting the power and influence of government and 'society' over its individual constituents lies in the risk of tyranny. Society enforces ***** own rules and regulations, as well ***** punishments it metes out to whomever society deems necessary to penalize. However, if society is incorrect in its judgment or if society unjustifiably interferes in an individual citizen's affairs, it actually practices *****. If ***** delves too deeply in the private affairs of individuals, ***** leaves that individual less room to maneuver, less ***** to escape such tyranny, particularly if the allegations of wrongdoing are unfounded. Mill ident*****ies ***** type of tyranny as "enslaving the soul *****elf." (Chapter I - Introductory; 5) Mill uses this argument to justify protection, not just from the government of the day in securing true *****, but also ***** the *****. "There needs [to be] protection... against the ***** of prevailing opinion ***** *****ing; against the tendency of society to impose, by other means than civil penalties, its own ideas and ***** as rules of conduct on those who dissent from *****; to fetter the development, *****, if possible, prevent the formation, of any *****ity ***** in harmony with its ways, and compel characters to fashion ********** upon the model ***** its own." (Chapter I - *****ntroduc*****ry; *****)

***** question **********, how can we regulate this ***** of balance between ********** and non-intervention on the part of *****? Currently, the method ***** doing so is simpl*****tic. Mill has ***** this ***** as being largely a reworking of one of the C*****tholic