John Stuart Mill Argumentative Essay

This argumentative essay will discuss whether or not a Millian society, based upon Mill’s writing, would have a governing body that would be able to provide an equal basis for positive and negative freedom for its community members. I will argue that a society built solely upon Mill’s arguments would have a government that would ensure people have negative freedom; however this regime would not provide any significant amount of positive freedoms. I will argue this society and government has mostly negative freedoms with this specific Millian society’s views around: individuality linked to anti-paternalism and self-regarding actions. Although there are other aspects to a Millian society, both individuality and self-regarding actions are highly important in any functioning society. This Millian society’s government would provide its citizens with negative freedoms however in such a society
In the society that Mill’s has created each member is free to do whatever they please, so long as it does not harm another member. This means that they are no boundary around what a person is able to do. Furthermore, in this form of society each citizen must be able to control them self to the utmost degree of perfection. As rational beings we have the ability to choose what we wish to do and what activities we wish to partake in. The concept of individuality has very beneficial factors, however like everything else in life there is a limit. A line must be drawn for everyone before one is tempted by things that could lead one down a bad path. Since people are not allowed to tell you how to act in Millian society when you are inflicting harm on yourself or making a slew of bad decisions, everyone has to look out for themselves. In this form of society every person is “alone” to fend for themselves, this can lead to individuals being overly defensive and hostile toward