John Stuart Mill seems very radical to me. He was not afraid to go against social norms while expressing his own opinions. I found his writings to be very different from some of the other authors we have read because he is so direct and outspoken.
In "Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion" from chapter two, Mill encourages different opinions from the population. He particularly addresses the beauty of opinions and discourages silence of the people, which can be seen in the following line:
"But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race;"
He says that different opinions may lead you to truth. However, even if truth is not revealed, then light is still shed on a different point of view. I believe Mill is encouraging us to listen to those around us, if for nothing more, than to be enlightened even if the truth is not always revealed.
On p. 516 Mill makes a strong argument for discourse among people as well. He says that this is how we will learn how to dissect opinions and determine infallibilities.
"There must be discussion, to show how experience is to be interpreted. Wrong opinions and practices gradually yield to fact and argument;"
I think he is saying that if we combine experience with this discourse and commentary, then we can help determine true meaning and even develop new ideas. We need to be able to see all modes of how a situation can be viewed in order to gain wisdom.
Mill's summation of this excerpt was particularly interesting. First, he says that people need to speak up and not go along with ideas accepted by the masses. Second, even if expressed opinions are wrong, they can contain partial truths. Third, we should not censor people's thoughts because we need them for societal growth.
I really liked this first point because I think we, all too often, follow the crowd, so to speak. Sometimes we do hear opinions that are different from what we are used to and we simply ignore them because they differ from societal norms. We really need to take heed to these different view points so that we keep growing and changing and do not fall stagnant. I think this is one of the biggest points Mill is trying to drive home. I appreciate his ability to address these issues.
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3 comments:
I found it interesting that you thought Mill was a bit radical. Certainly many people from his own time period would consider him as such, but today many would consider him as the founder for modern "liberal" thinking. Good job on analyzing Mills' philosophical positions and ideas.
Kelly,
You make several good observations about Mill's radical ideas, and do a nice job of incorporating quotations to support and illustrate your points.
Kelly,
What I enjoyed in Mill the most was his ability to embrace the unpopular. Popularity can make anything appear to be appropriate, but Mills helps us remember that what it right is not a popularity contest.
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