Question

Considering Joh Stuart Mill's passage regarding man choosing his 'plan of life' in Chapter III of his essay On Liberty, why is Mill so concerned about man's tendency to follow others and imitate rather than choose his own way and why is this important in understanding Mill's concept of justice and soical progress.

Answer 1

Mill says, an individual can enjoy liberty, as long it does not harm others. He believes that when a majority comes together, it can impose a serious threat to the Government. Apart from Government, informal sanctions followed by the society also limits individual liberty ( harm principle). He quotes " it practices a social tyranny more formidable than many kinds of political oppression since, though, not usually upheld by such extreme penalties, it leaves fewer means of escape,penetrating much more deeply into the details of life, enslaving the soul itself". He fears, that this public opinion may be a form of informal coercion and can outweigh and stifle individuality.