Harm Principle Essay
John Stuart Mill’s Harm Princple
The theoretical and practical analysis of John Stuart Mill’s Harm Principle
“The only freedom […] is that of pursuing our own [happiness], so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs or impede their efforts to obtain it” – John Stuart Mill.
This utilitarian approach brought forth by John Stuart Mill, within his works On Liberty, identifies a correlation between freedom and happiness. He essentially states that achieving freedom is most effective when an individual is able to act in ways that promotes their happiness, in so forth that another individual’s freedom, is not negatively affected (Dyzenhaus, Moreau and Ripstein 2007). The “Harm Principle” developed by John Stuart Mill, is one, where he incorporates his view of freedom, into a theory of how society should function. Trying to eliminate the common societal problem of an oppressive government, this principle suggests that in order to achieve and maintain liberty within society, it is essential that individuals are able to act rationally, while being restricted from causing harm to others (Dyzenhaus, Moreau and Ripstein 2007). Incorporating this principle with the relationship between the state and its citizens, the state cannot interfere with the actions of its citizens unless the actions are harmful to others (Dyzenhaus, Moreau and Ripstein 2007). However, John Stuart Mill’s Harm Principle consists of an underlying problem, which is the controversy of what constitutes harm. This controversy can be problematic when applying the principle to society. With this said, the harm principle in its theoretical approach entails that if an action does not cause harm to others, it is not subject to legal sanction or interference from the government or individuals within the society (Dyzenhaus, Moreau and Ripstein 2007). However, applying this principle in society can cause difficulties due to its vague nature and unclear identification of harm.
To begin, John Stuart
The theoretical and practical analysis of John Stuart Mill’s Harm Principle
“The only freedom […] is that of pursuing our own [happiness], so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs or impede their efforts to obtain it” – John Stuart Mill.
This utilitarian approach brought forth by John Stuart Mill, within his works On Liberty, identifies a correlation between freedom and happiness. He essentially states that achieving freedom is most effective when an individual is able to act in ways that promotes their happiness, in so forth that another individual’s freedom, is not negatively affected (Dyzenhaus, Moreau and Ripstein 2007). The “Harm Principle” developed by John Stuart Mill, is one, where he incorporates his view of freedom, into a theory of how society should function. Trying to eliminate the common societal problem of an oppressive government, this principle suggests that in order to achieve and maintain liberty within society, it is essential that individuals are able to act rationally, while being restricted from causing harm to others (Dyzenhaus, Moreau and Ripstein 2007). Incorporating this principle with the relationship between the state and its citizens, the state cannot interfere with the actions of its citizens unless the actions are harmful to others (Dyzenhaus, Moreau and Ripstein 2007). However, John Stuart Mill’s Harm Principle consists of an underlying problem, which is the controversy of what constitutes harm. This controversy can be problematic when applying the principle to society. With this said, the harm principle in its theoretical approach entails that if an action does not cause harm to others, it is not subject to legal sanction or interference from the government or individuals within the society (Dyzenhaus, Moreau and Ripstein 2007). However, applying this principle in society can cause difficulties due to its vague nature and unclear identification of harm.
To begin, John Stuart