On Liberty John Stuart Mill Analysis

John Stuart Mill, born London 1806 was an influential moral and political philosopher. His philosophy which aims for reform rather than revolution formed the basis of British Victorian Liberalism. Struck by the elegant simplicity principle of “the greatest happiness for the greatest number” Mill quickly became an advocate of how utilitarianism might be applied in the real world. By creating an “indissoluble association” between the individual’s happiness and the good of society, one established a community where all individuals were allowed the freedom to pursue happiness. In Mill’s writing On Liberty chapter two “Of the liberty of thought and discussion” Mill sets out an important argument for freedom of speech in which a state without “the liberty of thought and discussion” was one in which the individual could not pursue happiness. Below, Mill’s discussion and emphasis pf freedom of opinion, and freedom of the expression of opinion, which he bases and argues on four distinct grounds, will be examined.
Firstly, Mill’s states “the opinion which it is attempted to supress by authority may possibly be true. Those who desire to suppress

For Mills it is important that when a belief is held, the manner in which it is held is just as important. It is important when harbouring certain beliefs and opinions one sees the significance and the grounds on which they are built as that is the only way to make truth of them. Hence Mills states without the ability to debate ideas and opinions we cannot establish the rational grounds of prevailing opinions but instead hold them in predisposition as we cannot make sense of