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Mill's Harm Principle: A Study In The Application Of 'On Liberty', Sandra J. Peart
Mill's Harm Principle: A Study In The Application Of 'On Liberty', Sandra J. Peart
Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications
English philosopher and political economist John Stuart Mill argued that people learn by choosing: this is how they become creative and productive individuals. For this reason, and because he felt that individuals are typically the most capable people to make their own choices, Mill was highly skeptical of restrictions on choice placed by a third party, such as the state.
Mill famously separated actions into two categories: (1) self-regarding actions that do not affect others; and (2) other-regarding actions that do affect, and may harm, others. In the former category he placed thought and discussion, tastes and pursuits, and association, …