Liberalism John Stuart Mill 13 August 2011

Liberalism The word has been emerged from very old Latin word "liberals" that means freedom which represents the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Politically, liberalism is defined as a political theory founded on the natural freedom of human being with individual autonomy. An economic perspective, liberalism can be said an economic theory in favor of laissez-faire and the free market.

Cont’d Liberalism requires openness than closed society. It has basically following features: Political pluralism free, fair and periodic election constitutionalism and equality before the law; liberal democracy with right to petition elected officials for redress of grievances; due process; civil liberties; human rights; and Free trade and right to property elements of civil society outside the government

Mill’s Introduction John Stuart Mill was a great philosopher of 19th century. He was blind supporter of individual liberty/freedom. He was born in London on 1806 and dead on 1873.. He studied Roman law very deeply and worked for East India Company, when he was just 17 years.

Cont’d His important writings were: The System of Logic The Principles of Political Economy Utilitarianism Essay on Liberty The Considerations of Representative Government The Examination of Sir William Hamilton's Philosophy The Subjugation of Women

Mill's view on Liberty There was extending the responsibility of government and also transferring the government from authoritarian to democracy, when Mill's wrote his philosophy. In this ground, he wrote his pioneer book named LIBERTY. He analyzed about liberty very extensively. About his analysis on LIBERTY, Graham says "No knight ever followed the lady with great vigor with which Mill sought for liberty or thought in general"

Cont’d Mill says Thus, Sabine says: Minority group should also be protected. If majority suppressed to minority in the name of democracy, it cannot be said democracy in reality. Thus, he supported the system of proportional representation so that distribution of parliamentary seats might correspond closely to the votes cast by the people. Thus, Sabine says: "Argument of Mill"s Essay on Liberty went far beyond a merely utilitarian defended on liberty"

At the time of analyzing liberty, he says: Cont’d At the time of analyzing liberty, he says: "Liberty consists in doing what one desire. In other words, over his/her body or mind individual is sovereign." "If a stand, solitary against the world mankind has no right to silence him." "Intervention to be done by state should be limited in actual necessity."

Mill’s types of Liberty Freedom of thought and expression According to Mill, human being cannot develop their personality without freely exercise of liberty. The government may be evaluated on the basis of such liberty that provided to the people. He says, "If all mankind minus (-) one opinions and only one person were of contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person then if he had the power would be justified in silencing mankind"

Cont’d Freedom of action He has also divided the freedom of action into two parts: Self regarding action: Self affected activities should be allowed. Other regarding action: The liberty of the individual must be for limited, he must not make himself nuisance to the other people

Cont’d Mill says: In the view of Mill: political institution are made by human voluntarily agency and it does not work by itself. It can be fulfilled by active participation of the people. The state can use intellectual person to fulfill need of society. In the view of Mill: a representative government was the best form of government among others. However, he accepted that such government was just possible in advance society than backward or colonial society.

Cont’d He has also expressed his view on parliament. He says: parliament is responsible to watch and control the government. Furthermore, additional functions of parliament are to shed light over and censure the works to be done by government. It was not business of parliament to govern and administer. In the issue of property, he says: it was a social institution necessary for the good and progress of mankind but he advocated the abolition of the law of primogeniture (Inheritance by first born).

Cont’d Mill was not favor of voting by secret ballot. He says: the duty of voting should be performed under the eye and criticism of the public, secret voting was bound to encourage selfishness. Mill wanted to give women the same position as men had. He says: sex alone should not be a basis of disqualification.

Cont’d He was really democrat who understood fully the value of human personality and development of the individual as a social being.