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
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Durkheim, Émile. Suicide, a Study in Sociology:. Glencoe, IL: Free, 1951. Print.
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Mill, John Stuart, and Elizabeth Rapaport. On Liberty. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 1978. Print.
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Durkheim, Emile. Trans. John A. Spaulding and George Simpson. Suicide; A Study in Sociology. The Free Press, New York. 1987. Pgs. 297-325
One of the more severe charges against Mill's conception of liberty involves socio-cultural background of the author's politics. Mill advocates paternalism on moral grounds in several instances that suggest an intellectual bias and a level of intellectual superiority, embedded in the nineteenth century culture and the Western world. Under Mill's paradigm, freedom is limited to those who are capable of rationality, allowing despotism as a sufficient alternative to 'educating' in all other instances (Goldberg, 2000). Thus, one's incompetence allows for a coercive force and social control (Conly, 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.
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.
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
Power, J. ‘Suicide the biggest killer among under 25s’, The Sydney Morning Herald, viewed 13 February 2014
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
This chapter, titled Suicide discusses the deviant activity of suicide. Author John Curra is a professor at Eastern Kentucky University where he teaches courses in social deviance, criminology, sociological analysis amongst more, and has authored several texts. Through the chapter, Curra defines and discusses the various forms of suicide that have been used throughout history, such as obligatory suicide, euthanasia and suicidal bombing. He also explains how these forms have adapted over time and their impact on society as well as how the act of suicide is and has been dealt with across different cultures. Curra clearly shows through this chapter to vast differences in how society reacts to and accepts suicide
Serazio, Michael. “Shooting for Fame: The (Anti-) Social Media of a YouTube Killer” May 29th, 2009. (Picture)
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...
John Stuart Mill discusses the conception of liberty in many ways. I’d like to focus of his ideas of the harm principle and a touch a little on his thoughts about the freedom of action. The harm principle and freedom on action are just two subtopics of Mill’s extensive thoughts about the conception on liberty. Not only do I plan to discuss and explain each of these parts on the conception of liberty, but I also plan to discuss my thoughts and feelings. I have a few disagreements with Mill on the harm principle; they will be stated and explained. My thoughts and feelings on Mill vary but I’d like to share my negative opinion towards the principle and hope to put it in a different perspective.
Durkheim, E. (1951). Suicide: A Study in Sociology. (J. A. Spaulding, & G. Simpson, Trans.)
Kuklin, Susan. After a Suicide: Young People Speak up. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1994. Print.
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.
Complete free exercise of will inhibits individual and societal freedom. According to Mill, one may act as one chooses unless one is inflicting harm onto others. He argues that one is free to behave “according to his own inclination and judgment in things which concern himself” as long as “he refrains from molesting” (64). The problem arises in the freedom allowed to the individual performing the potentially dangerous act. People are often blinded by the situation in which they are in and by their personal motives which drive them to act. Humans, by nature, have faults and vices that are potentially harmful. It is the responsibility of society to anticipate harm, whether to oneself or to others. Once dangerous patterns and habits are recognized it is imperative to anticipate and prevent injury from reoccurring. To allow any individual to be inflicted harm forces citizens to lose tr...