Page 256 - DPOL201_WESTERN_POLITICAL_THOUGHT_ENGLISH

Sukanya Das, Lovely Professional University
Western Political Thought Manu Sharma, Lovely Professional University

Notes Unit 14: John Stuart Mill and His Representative Government

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
14.1 Democracy and Representative Government
14.2 Economy and State
14.3 Mill’s Views on India

14.4 Summary
14.5 Key-Words
14.6 Review Questions
14.7 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit students will be able to :
• Discuss democracy and representative government of Mill.
• Explain Mill’s economy and state.
• Understand Mill’s views on India.

Introduction

Mill gave the greatest importance to freedom of thought. This was the most prized item in Mill’s
catalogue of freedoms where no outside (government or society) interference was to be tolerated.
Mill gave four main reasons against interference with freedom of thought. Firstly, assuming our
own infallibility, we may suppress an opinion which may be wholly true. Secondly, even if the
opinion suppressed is partly erroneous, it is not desirable on our part to suppress the error
because it might have elements of truth. Thirdly, even if the opinion suppressed is wholly untrue,
still we would be the losers for suppressing it, because its suppression would prevent the people
from realising the rational grounds on which the true opinion is based. The true opinion gets
strengthened when contested again and again. Finally, Mill says: “It is only by the collision of
adverse opinion that the remainder of the truth has any chance of being supplied”.
Mill’s prime concern with delimiting a zone of noninterference stems from his deep concern for
human individuality. The human being, according to Mill, is akin to a tree which “grows according
to the tendency of the inward forces which make it a living thing”.
But Mill is careful enough to note that individuality cannot be allowed to flourish if it hurts or
harms the interests (equal right of developing individuality) of others. In other words, Mill does
not permit the promotion of individuality at the expense of harming others or hurting society. To
put it differently, individuality is a highly desirable goal, but so is social harmony and social good.
Mill’s concept of negative liberty thus enables him to permit imposition of restraints in the interest
of the common weal, that is, when actions are no longer purely self-regarding. To illustrate, man
has full freedom of thought and expression but (says Mill) “opinions lose their immunity, when
the circumstances in which they are expressed are such as to constitute by their expression a
positive instigation to some mischievous act”. Here the conduct of a self-regarding action has
social repercussions and hence the state acquires the right to intervene.

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