Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Something to Read for the Despot Shout-Downers

To be held to rigid rules of justice for the sake of others, develops the feelings and capacities which have the good of others for their object. But to be restrained in things not affecting their good, by their mere displeasure, develops nothing valuable, except such force of character as may unfold itself in resisting the restraint.
[...] 
Even despotism does not produce its worst effects, so long as Individuality exists under it; and whatever crushes individuality is despotism, by whatever name it may be called, and whether it professes to be enforcing the will of God or the injunctions of men.

Mill, John Stuart. "On Individuality, As One of The Elements of Well-Being." In Individualism: A Reader edited by George H. Smith and Marilyn Moore. Washington, D.C.: Individualism.org a Project of the Cato Institute, 2015.

Too often these days we read of instances, particularly on our college campuses, of groups so certain of the righteousness and correctness of their vision that, by means of obnoxious disruption, they preclude others from speaking. It's a troublesome development and highly illiberal. These are usually, though not always, people of the left. I couldn't help but think of them today while reading chapter three of John Stuart Mill's On Liberty in Individualism: A Reader. Maybe they can rekindle some of their liberal tradition by re-reading Mill. And why should they? Because, as Mill writes, the only way for true progress to flourish is with a system of liberty where all voices are heard. Even those we disagree with because, 


There is always need of persons not only to discover new truths, and point out when what were once truths are true no longer, but also to commence new practices, and set the example of more enlightened conduct, and better taste and sense in human life. This cannot well be gainsaid by anybody who does not believe that the world has already attained perfection in all its ways and practices.

Mill, John Stuart. "On Individuality, As One of The Elements of Well-Being." In Individualism: A Reader edited by George H. Smith and Marilyn Moore. Washington, D.C.: Individualism.org a Project of the Cato Institute, 2015.


No comments:

Post a Comment