Comparing John Stuart Mill And John Mill's On Liberty

Philosophers often attempt to design a societal system that reflects their view of "what is good." However, before this can be established, it is crucial for them to set out, in their opinion, their respective present view of society. In this case, what is commonly held as "good" is freedom. Rousseau 's explanation of social contracts affirms his belief in a common will that derives from his concept that if all individuals freely enter into a social contract based on the general will, this establishes authority in the political sovereign as long as it reflects such a will. This "general will" is contrasted with Mill 's notion of the liberty principle. The work of Mill "On Liberty" is fundamental to understanding the ways in which to liberate oneself from an oppressive society by way of promoting his harm principle, freedom of opinion and speech, and protection from the majority if one is indeed able to step back and observe the sovereign mechanism of society. While both philosophers offer valid arguments for legitimate functionality of
This notion was first introduced in his work, The Social Contract: an analysis of the contractual relationships that may be necessary in order to establish legitimate government. Rousseau argues that civil society is based on a contractual arrangement of rights and duties which applies equally to all people, whereby natural liberty is exchanged for civil liberty, and natural rights are exchanged for legal rights. The terms of the contract provide assurance that civil laws promote the public good rather than the private good of particular individuals or groups. If the contract is breached by a government which appropriates the sovereignty of its people, then the people are no longer obligated to submit to that government and consequently regain their natural