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TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > Politics > Jane O'Grady's Introduction to 'On Liberty'

The Harm Principle

“ The sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number is… to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant”

JSM has been claimed variously as a liberal/precursor of British socialism/élitist libertarian. Commentators try to make him consistent in diff. versions of any of these, but he embraced imp. contradictions.

Overall Aims

Wanted greater freedom for all, while still holding on to his father’s utilitarianism*, but in a way that promoted what we’d call ‘quality of life’.

(* the right action is the action that produces the greatest happiness of the greatest number)

Partly due to his educ. (which caused breakdown; omitted cultivation of feeling and imagination), came to value art, poetry, the ‘higher pleasures’. So in Utilitarianism rejected purely quantitative notion of pleasure in favour of a qualitative one.

Wanted to promote universal happiness without promoting ‘collective mediocrity’, and reconcile liberty and utilitarian principles.

Thus felt educated people should have extra votes – greater say in gov. (dreaded ‘ignorance & brutality’ of masses).

Also v. too much help to poor lest it sap their initiative.

(must be seen in context of his time…) – His repugnance of lower classes in part a cause for his desire to improve them. ‘Looked forward to a time when fruits of labour would be distributed according to an acknowledged principle of justice’. (Jane O’Grady)

diagnosed ‘the social problem of the future’ as ‘how to unite the greatest individual liberty of action, with a common ownership in the raw materials of the globe’

He said that though some of his beliefs were undemocratic in ST, his LT ideals earned him the title of socialist still more than that of democrat.

(Short term -ve freedom; Long term +ve freedom – or at least less/more emphasis on –ve/+ve?)

v. gov. by aristocracy and strove for WC & woman representation in parl.

On Liberty - Aims

Seeks to lay down limits to how far encroachment by state or society should extend on the indiv. Thus, like Locke & Bentham, concerned to preserve a private sphere beyond the reach of laws.

Though a large measure of protection from the tyranny of political rulers achieved, concerned by development of: ‘Tyranny of the prevailing opinion’. ‘The tendency of society to.. fetter the development and… formation of any individuality not in harmony with its ways’.

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