The Struggle Between Liberty and Authority
Where would our world be without the individualistic ideas of John Stuart Mill? Would we all be forced into false thinking by our government? Would we still believe that the world was flat? In the absence of ideas from original, bold thinkers in society that stand up for their beliefs in pursuit of their dreams, our society would be at a stand still. Often times, citizens feel that their individual liberties and their rights are being violated by an overzealous government. Mill recognized this problem and published an essay titled "On Liberty", in 1859, which spoke of the idea that each person in society must be free and able to express his/her opinions. Contrary to Mill's beliefs, Edmund Burke, another political philosopher, stated that to have order and less chaos, a monarchial government is necessary. He argued that there would be less confusion and a clearer understanding of ethics between what is right and wrong. Although Edmund Burke had a few strong points in stating the benefits of a non-liberal society, John Stuart Mill's liberal ideology was immensely more justified and produced noticeable social progress.
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