On Liberty
Politics-On Liberty
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In his essay On Liberty, Mill attempts to present a logically cohesive argument regarding the individual's relationship with society and individuality as one of the elements of wellbeing according to the doctrines of liberalism. Basing his arguments on the value of utilitarianism, Mill raises the question of the amount of power that should be "legitimately exercised by society of the individual" (Mill 1974, p.59). He presents the individual as a sovereign being, responsible for its own well-being and accountable for itself (Mill 1974, p. 69). He criticises the lack of individuality in rigid Victorian English society and to counter this, persuasively argues for the furthering of the well-being of individual spontaneity through two avenues intrinsic value of individuality to the self, and the merits of individuality in societal interaction (Mill 1974, pp. 119-140).
In On Liberty, Mill m...
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