John Stuart Mill and Liberty. How morality is related to liberty Essay

John Stuart Mill and Liberty. How morality is related to liberty - Essay Example Before discussing the justification of liberty, we would talk about the idea behind liberty and how Mill links liberty to morality1. 'On Liberty' published in 1859 presented not only a philosophy of history and transition but demonstrated his understanding on political and religious developments, and emphasises upon the role of liberty in justifying free development of true philosophic action in England. Comte, while looking at Mill's theologies based on logic, points out that precautions presented by Mill to exercise freedom are unnecessary in France, where he is able to use his public lectures on astronomy as a vehicle to eliminate completely all theological philosophy, even in its simple form of deism, and finally to reduce all moral and social doctrines to rational positivism (Raeder, 2002, p. 56). 'On Liberty' demonstrates Mill's understanding of freedom, as he considered freedom of discussion to be an effective means by which to undermine traditional beliefs, especially theological and religious beliefs and even those where public opinion prevents any real discussion2. Miller was well aware of the fact that lies a significant relationship between freedom of speech, expression and instruction and the erosion of traditional belief. Perspectives of Nature Traditions, beliefs and human morals engages directly with what Mill has mentioned in the late 1850s, as 'nature' and it is because of this nature that humanity suffers through catastrophe, disease and death. Thus it is all interrelated as the distinct attributes of nature which humans disapprove in the name of conservatism and religious fatalism. In order to secure his school of thought, Mill presents two distinct uses of the term 'nature' (Gerson, 2002). The first stance presents a broad and neutral milieu with a more specific and evaluative analysis which states that nature is identical with the entire universe as well as the principles that are followed in the world. Those principles are scientific in nature and fulfills the logic behind natural phenomenons that takes place within our society. For instance, the nature of earthquake is destruction, the nature of volcanoes is to alleviate materialism from the world and so on. Since all human organisms are abide by nature's laws no one can dare to challenge the mother nature as long as he or she stays confined to the universe or as long as human affairs stay within nature's boundaries. Of course an individual must obey the laws of equilibrium to avoid being a victim to the law of gravity or we can say that by following the laws of gravity, one is socially adhere to the physical and biological laws and not by any means can challenge to escape from them. The second school of thought that supports nature is that since society is bound to obey what nature has reserved for it, human beings are themselves certain 'objects' of nature that are unable to deviate from nature. In other words, nature welcomes humanity to understand in context with human will and action. This indicates behind every idea of nature is the involvement of human intention which may serve as the basis for a social agenda. A clear notion is that no one on the earth can claim to be superior to the nature, or there is nothing outside nature and its laws and that, no human being has ever been given a choice to make distinctions between likes and dislikes of nature or to avoid any natural act. Thus Mill defends mother nature with that of human nature, that nature in any form does not ask a human to adopt or reject its principles, for it is a default option that requires no human decision making options and entails no evaluative consequences. How morality is related to liberty Enclosed within