PHIL 150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Harm Principle, Paternalism, Morality
Document Summary
Offense principle: individual liberty is justifiably limited to prevent offense to others. Legal moralism: individual liberty is justifiably limited to prevent immoral behavior. Legal paternalism: individual liberty is justifiably limited to prevent harm to self or others. Harm principle: individual liberty is justifiably limited to prevent harm to others (mill"s principle) The fact some action is harmful is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for making it illegal. Individuals have special access to what is in their self-interest. 1: the government does not have any special insight into individual"s interest, hence, individuals are better judges than governments in deciding what is in their self- interest, so, individuals ought to be able to make their own decisions. Autonomy argument: freedom of choice has an absolute value independent of consequences. 2: hence, we should accept the harm principle. It is wrong for the government to limit this value except when it infringes on others.
