On Liberty

Mill asserts that humans believe themselves to be infallible, or incapable of being wrong. He insists instead that every human is fallible, the opposite. The illusion that one is infallible leads to a bias against information that contradicts one’s standing beliefs or opinions. To Mill, this bias is extremely detrimental to both individuals and society. It is only through a willingness to be wrong and amend opinions that people can arrive at truth.

Liberty is the central concern of Mill’s essay. Specifically, he says he means to discuss “Civil, or Social Liberty,” and he defines that as “the nature and limits of the power which can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual” (1). He says that there is an ongoing struggle between liberty and authority. People have freedom, but it is not unlimited. A state’s authority might step in to limit liberty when a person’s actions threaten to harm others. In matters of personal concern, Mill advocates for people to have full liberty over their opinions and actions.

In the first chapter, Mill discusses social tyranny. Historically associated with monarchs, emperors, or other despotic rulers, the term “tyranny” in this sense instead refers to oppression created by society at large—not the government.