Sugar Tax Analysis

Would Mill be in favour of a sugar tax?

I. Introduction

In this essay I will argue that Mill would not be in favour of a sugar tax. More specifically, I will argue that a) Mill’s harm principle allows power only to be rightfully exercised over a member of a civilised society against his own will if it is to prevent harm to others, and that while scientists and health organisations are stressing on the negative health effects of sugar-flavoured soft drinks, it does not cause harm to anyone who does not choose to consume these drinks or if an individual does not feel the need to be precautious about what he consumes ; b) that even if one believes that sugar-flavoured soft drinks does cause harm to others, Mill rejects paternalist interference because he values autonomy; and c) Mill thinks that harm to others is necessary but not sufficient enough for interference, and that applying a sugar tax would make it difficult for lower income families and also make it unfair on individuals who do not consume sugar-flavoured soft drinks to have to pay taxes.

III. Mill and the Sugar Tax

I have said that Mill would not be in favour of a sugar tax. In this section I present the argument I sketched in the introduction. First, Mill’s Harm Principle points out notions of the authority of society over an individual and Mill argues in his text ‘On Liberty’ that, “when a person’s conduct affects the interests of no persons besides himself, or needs not affect them unless they like, there should be perfect freedom, legal and social, to do the action and stand the consequences”. Mill’s statement goes in contrast with the sugar tax proposal, if an individual chooses to consume sugar-flavoured soft drinks he should by any means permitted to do so re...

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...ue of the sugar tax would also affect people who do not consume sugar-flavoured soft drinks as they would have to put forward expenses on a matter which doesn’t concern them but does interfere with their expenses.

IV Conclusion

In this essay I have argued that Mill would not be in favour of a sugar tax, on the grounds that it interferes with the liberty and autonomy of an individual and Mill believes that society does not have the right to impose on matters of an individual if their actions are not harming society, in this case the consumption of sugar-flavoured soft drinks.

Reference List:

[1] See Martin Johnston ‘NZ scientists take on sugar’ New Zealand Herald, February 8, 2014, http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11198199

Mill, John Stuart. On Liberty. London: Longman, Roberts & Green, 1859, http://www.bartleby.com/br/130.html