The Consequences Of The Government In John Mill's On Liberty

In On liberty, Mill claims that individuals are pressured to obey the customs, beliefs, norms, opinions and attitudes accepted by the majority. Mill believes that individuals should strive hard and take positive measures to ensure that their liberties are not destroyed. He effectively presents the threat of the government which destroys the freedom of individuals, especially those who try to evade what they dictate, through the use of coercion by force and imprisonment. However, John Mill overstates the threats of the “Tyranny of Majority” and understates the consequences of the government.
Mill believes society has a right to exercise over individuals only on a limited domain. He proposes that the freedom and liberty to entertain a wide variety of ideas without the fear of punishment was of immense importance to the healthy development of not only individuals but also the whole society. Which he states, “If all mankind minus one, were of one
Mill believes human beings to be fallible creatures and since ancient times their most cherished ideas have been falsely mistaken for absolute truths. Society should henceforth allow freedom of expression; even for the most unorthodox and unconventional idea for these ideas may come out as more truthful than the ideas accepted by the majorities as the truth.
“However unwillingly a person who has a strong opinion may admit the possibility that his opinion may be false, he ought to be moved by the consideration that however true it may be, if it is not fully, frequently, and fearlessly discussed, it will be held as a dead dogma, not a living truth.”
Furthermore, Mill considers that even if society and individuals desire an idea which they are confident is true, they should not suppress any opposing ideas. Even if one has come to the true idea, it is necessary the true idea is under attack by conflicting