MIll Flashcards
Why have people become complacent about government?
Democracy seen as reconciling the interests of the ruling with the interests of the ruled. However all it has done is align gov with the interests of the majority
Quote about social assimilation
“a social tyranny more formidable than many kinds of political oppression”
“every one lives under the eye of a hostile and dreaded censorship. Even what people do for pleasure, conformity is the first thing thought of; they like in crowds”
Mill’s harm principle
“One simple principle”
“The sole end for which mankind are warranted in interfering with the liberty of action … is self protection”
“The only part of the conduct of any one, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others”
Tactics of showing our disapproval of another’s action that does not harm others
Remonstration, reasoning, persuasion
Mill’s views on freedom of opinion
Warburton’s summary:
1) Infallibility argument
2) Dead dogma argument
3) Partly True argument
4) Link with action argument
“the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collusion of error”
If not challenged it will be held as “dead dogma, not a living truth”
Mill’s views on economic liberty
Talks of those who do not rely on the charity of others needing to be less worried about if their opinions offend anyone or not
Mills views on the liberty of actions
Should not be as free as opinions
Text that draws distinction between harm and harming one’s interests
Rees (1960) “The principle of liberty” = harming interests
Levine (1999)- legitimate interests
Quote that critisises the distinction between self-regarding actionss
“Like an attempt to distinguish between acts which happen in time and acts which happen in space” (Fitzjames Stephen)
Mill’s views on moral distress
Mill regarded moral distress as a positive good. Distress is a sign that the system of moral deliberation is working.
(What about his last comments that seem to undermine this?)
Contradiction
“offences against decency”
