“If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind...

â€Å"If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind† (Mill, 2002, pg.14) John Stuart Mill, an English philosopher of the 19th century, and said to be one of the most influential thinkers in the areas regarding social theory, political theory, and political economy had strong views regarding free speech. In his following quote, he states that if all mankind had an opinion or an action, and another individual had a different opinion, mankind would not be justified in silencing that one individual just like that one individual, if given the power to do so, would not be justified in silencing all of mankind. Mill’s†¦show more content†¦The book starts off by discussing the fact that liberty is important to protect individuals against political tyranny of overzealous rulers. Citizens of the society were beginning to realize that in or der for them to achieve liberty the government would have to step in, and act as a instrument of the peoples will. Whatever the majority chose in a society was what the government would have to go with as its main purpose should be to serve the best interest of the citizens. Mill recognizes this new so-called victory of the people is nothing they assume its like to be, its in fact just a way for a new type of tyranny; the type of prevailing opinion. This type of tyranny is far worse and more evil as it silences the voice of the minority, and lets the majority rule. The minority of a society should be able to state their opinion even if it may be wrong, right, or even part of the truth. According to Mill, everyone’s contribution is extremely important in a community. Mill states that society should not impose its values on anyone because even though the majority choses one path, it doesn’t mean that they are right because human opinion is error-prone and thus we should listen and not be so judgmental on the opinions of those who don’t agree with majority. The majority group if people who choose one path may not always realize that they might be making a error in judgment which those in minority can be able to see. MillsShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of On Liberty Essay1565 Words   |  7 Pagesanother individual’s opinion. Mill asserts that any such actions are illegitimate and in short wrong for two reasons: 1. Humans are infallible and 2. Humans are corrigible. Mill goes on further to state that â€Å"if all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.† (2;1) In other words, even if just one person held a particularRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Mill On Liberty1074 Words   |  5 PagesHas one ever speculated what the conception of liberty is? Liber ty had the ability to challenge ideas of the past into new ones. Mill expressed his understanding about liberty in several ways in his essay named, On Liberty. In this paper, I will strongly explain the significance of the quotation, assumptions mills argument depends upon, limitations in the right of free speech, and agreement with Mill’s points of view. Without further ado; let me activate the critical analysis of Mill’s approach regardingRead MoreEssay about Free Speech Should Not be Restricted544 Words   |  3 Pagesto say isn’t all that important and it is recommended that you keep all your thoughts to yourself as it is hard not to be offensive to everyone at the same time.   By offensive I mean to displease someone.   In general, no one really likes what you have to say.   Therefore it has been decided that you and only you will be silenced. â€Å"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, thanRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution During The 19th Century851 Words   |  4 PagesSince the emergence of man, the human race has gone through many changes throughout the time and history. One of the greatest and most crucial changes for today’s modern society was the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution brought many changes to the societies that experienced the process of industrialization. Some of the changes benefited society, while others caused harm to most of the society. Most affected by these changes was the working class of these societies. The Industrial RevolutionRead MoreThe Black Lives Matter Movement1197 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is truth and where can we find it? We are always thinking that one is right and one is wrong. But John Mill suggests that truth is going to be found in the middle somewhere as a combination .(Page 43). But if we are only hearing one side, we are limited and cannot find the truth. He believes that suppression is also wrong. In order to find the answer or the truth we must have an open dialogue. truth only comes after expression of our thoughts and expression of our narrative. The black livesRead MorePhilosophical Approach Of John Stuart Mill1686 Words   |  7 Pages Philosophical Approach of John Stuart Mill Has one ever speculated what the conception of liberty is? Liberty has the ability to challenge ideas of the past into new ones. Mill expressed his understanding about liberty in several ways in his essay named, On Liberty. In this paper, I will strongly explain the significance of quotation, assumptions mills argument depends upon, limitations in the right of free speech and agreement with Mill’s points of view. Without further ado; let me activate theRead MoreThe Work Of Mill : The Foundation Of Liberalism And Modern Day Politics1613 Words   |  7 PagesIs it acceptable to steal money from other people? What if an individual were to ‘persuade’ others to give him/her money? Furthermore, what is the ‘stolen’ money were to be helping the lives of others? A licensed casino is allowed to persuade people to spend money on gambling, with minimal to no repercussions, but hysteria ensues on campuses everywhere over political correctness and ideology. The c onnection between casino gambling and student protests is â€Å"the nature and limits of the power whichRead MoreFree Speech : Freedom Of Speech1403 Words   |  6 Pagesprinciples, and this can be evidenced by the level of freedom accorded to the citizens of the United States and the West in terms of speech. The freedom of speech gives an individual an opportunity to speak his or her mind and also give his or her opinion, sometimes on very sensitive topics, without any fear of reprisal (Melkonian, 2012). The exercise of freedom of speech goes along way down the history of human civilization, and only positive results are there as the fruit of such level of humanRead More It’s Time to Limit Restrict Hate Speech Essay901 Words   |  4 Pagesbackbone that holds democracy together.   Without a free speech, ideas would not be challenged, governments would not be kept in check, and citizens would not be free.   John Stuart Mill said once that, â€Å"If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person then he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.†( Roleff, 21). The right to free speech is essential to â€Å"egalitarianRead MoreAnalysis Of The Text On Liberty By John Stuart Mill1642 Words   |  7 PagesRegarding Mill’s argument â€Å"If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing th at one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind,† the justification for this statement is to present his ideology on the subject of free speech. According the text ‘On Liberty’ by John Stuart Mill, his position with respect to free speech is that even one person had a specific opinion, mankind is not given grounds to silence him. Mill’s argument