John Stuart Mill on Liberty and Freedom of Expression

Inhibition of ones liberty, such as their liberty of conscience (i.e. freedom of speech), is unjust by Millian principles, unless the persons use of deliberation is to voice hate speech. So what is hate speech? Hate speech is directed towards a member of a group, or the group as a whole, that vilifies on the basis of the subjects beliefs. In comparison to discriminatory speech, hate speech does not invoke mere offense, but in most cases is traumatic, and severely impair one’s deliberative capacities, or their mental faculties (judgment, moral preference, intuition, etc†¦). Liberties have been established to protect our deliberative abilities, as these are conducive to achieving happiness, which to Mill is the individuals primary goal. So why should we regulate hate speech? Although it is important to allow peoples freedom of expression, as this is conducive to promoting ones individuality, hate speech can stigmatize ones character, and for this reason hate speech is not always morally, or legally permissible. To better understand hate speechs importance, I will describe Mills argument in favor of prohibiting hate speech, following this I will object to Mills rejection of hate speech, finally, I will show why hate speech should be regulated, and why allowing it is dangerous to humans, and society as a whole. Freedom of expression is imperative for improving one’s character, but not all forms of opinions, such as hate speech, should have full freedom to beShow MoreRelatedAccording to Mills, government should not be attempting to control individual freedoms, but should1100 Words   |  5 Pages According to Mills, government should not be attempting to control individual freedoms, but should be helping individuals develop in society. 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