GOVT-105 FA2 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: On Liberty, House Society
9 Apr 2017
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Govt-105 - textbook note - mill, on liberty ch 5. The essay can be broken down into two maxims. People are not accountable to society for actions that only concern themselves. The individual is accountable for actions that hurt others and can be punished by society socially or legally. A person can cause harm by succeeding where others fail and they can"t be punished for that because the social good is positive. The police should not restrict things that might only potentially be used for evil. If poisons were only used for murder they should be restricted. The police should guard against people accidentally harming themselves but they must respect a person"s right to take risks with their safety. Society has a right to prevent crimes against itself. If a person is violent when drunk they can be compelled not to drink.
