Summary
Summary IB Philosphy "On Liberty" Chapter 2 notes
The document summarizes and analyses Chapter 2 of "On Liberty" by John Stuart Mill.
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Chapter 2 Notes1.We should let people hear through ideas as they give opportunity to change for the truth. no one is infallible
and can assume they automatically know what is true (infallibility argument)
• Infallibility argument: As men are impossible they are imperfect they always hear all idea, as it may be the truth
nobody's invaluable authority of truth, if one stops opinion to be voiced they're rejecting potential truth. “Absolute
Princess or others who are costumed to unlimited difference usually feel this complete confidence in their own
opinions on nearly all subjects” “Ages are no more invaluable than individuals every age having held many
opinions which subsequent ages have deemed not only false but absurd”.
• Mill’s criticism: “judgement is given to men that they may use it” “To prohibit what they think is not claiming
exemption from error but fulfilling the duty incumbent on them, although fallible, of acting on their conscientious
conviction” “There is no such thing as absolute certainty”
• Mills response: This may lead to chaotic opinions that don't lead to actual decisions being made as “The very
condition which justifies us in assuming it's truth for purposes of action; an on no other terms can a being with
human faculties have any rational assurance of being right”
• History of opinion: For some truths one is experience in first person and not be limited by their rationality.
Rationalistic view of humans capable to understand criticism. “He's capable of rectifying his mistakes by
discussion an experience” “there must be discussion to show how experience is to be interpreted”
• Example: Catholicism of Good and Evil: “The holiest man it appears cannot be admitted to post humus honours
until all that the devil could say against him is known an waited” “the believes which we have most award for
have no safeguard to rest on but a standing invitation to the whole world to prove them unfounded”
• Mill’s criticism: An idea is true only if it’s useful. “There are it is alleged certain beliefs so useful not to say
indispensable to well being right is as much as the duty of the government to uphold these beliefs as to protect any
other the interest of society” Wanted to protect views and opinions that are most useful to the public. “truth of an
opinion is part of it’s utility”
• Example: Socrates that he accepts his own punishment of a democracy that he didn’t believe in.They confronted
minorities views with death, rather than discuss each other’s ideas to derive truth.
• Example: Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ who persecuted Christianity. Jesus original teachings were partly true thus
they should have let him free, one shouldn't be silenced just because he believes in a minority view, utility may
overthrow truth at stops social revolution. His sense of duty so strong that they allow truth to be told.
• Mill’s criticism: “A theory which maintains that truth may justifiably be persecuted because persecution cannot
possibly do any harm cannot be charged with being intentionally hostile to the reception of new truths” truth and
knowledge is like a gift is the best thing the one could do to others is to let truth rise.
Mills response: Truth can be indeed loss through persecution. If one stops individual to speak it doesn’t let truth to
rise, but also delays truth to arise as a whole. “The dictum that truth always triumphs over persecution is one of
those pleasant falsehood which men repeat after one another till they pass into common places but which all
experience refuse”
• Law is enforcing the tyranny of the majority: “The chief mischief of the legal penalties is that they strengthen the
social stigma” This treatment is much worst for the majority as they remain ignorant.
• One should enable average beings with truth insinuating all should try for in for intellectual perfectionism. “Truth
against more even by the errors of one who with the with study and preparation thinks for himself than by the true
opinions of those only hold them because they do not suffer themselves to think .
2. We should hear false ideas to keep the truth alive and so people know the grounds of their true ideas and do
not hold them as dead dogmas.
• Mill says how we should look at all opinions even if false as they may contain partial truth as it is helpful to get to
absolute truths. “That his opinion may be false he ought to be moved by the consideration that however true
maybe does not foodie frequently and fearless discussed will be held as a dead dogma and not are living truth.
• Mills criticism: “Some say let them be taught the grounds of their opinion it does not follow the opinions must be
merely pirated because they are never heard of controverted person who learn geometry do not simply commit to
the theorems to memory learn likewise a demonstration and it is will be absurd to say that they remain ignorant on
the grounds of grammatical truths because they never hear anyone denying attempts disprove them”
Mills response: People don't necessarily always need the ground of truth such as in mathematics while in truth of
life one is here false ideas however Mel doesn't consider filling experiences ground for truths in discussion.
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