PHIL-P 145 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Scapegoating
Document Summary
Mill questions why the state has the power to interfere with certain liberties of the. Chapter 4 - the place of liberty people such as the prohibition of prostitution, particular religions, homosexuality. Mill(cid:859)s li(cid:271)ert(cid:455) pri(cid:374)(cid:272)iple applies to (cid:858)a(cid:374)(cid:455) (cid:373)e(cid:373)(cid:271)er of a (cid:272)i(cid:448)ilized (cid:272)o(cid:373)(cid:373)u(cid:374)it(cid:455)(cid:859) e(cid:454)(cid:272)ludi(cid:374)g children and barbarians; so that children can not decide whether or not to learn to read and write etc. Mill was very welcoming to opposing views and believed suppressing them would be to (cid:863)ro(cid:271) the hu(cid:373)a(cid:374) ra(cid:272)e, posterit(cid:455) as (cid:449)ell as the e(cid:454)isti(cid:374)g ge(cid:374)eratio(cid:374)(cid:863) Bentham discussed natural rights, rights which were universally in place regardless of the legal decree of the land. As su(cid:272)h scapegoating would be immoral because of the mental damage of the society; everyone is happier knowing their free from random victimization. Mill saw liberty as a means of improvement, and should only be used if it promotes more happiness than the other alternative.
