John Stuart Mill

Who da man
John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 8 May 1873) was a politician, philosopher, civil servant, political economist, feminist and all-round good guy. He held a position in the original Liberal Party (not the Lib-Dems) ran against the original W.H. Smith, (Tory) of stationary and overpriced water for long car journeys fame, for their local seat. Mill lost, but had he gone fully into politics, we may never have been left with Bentham's Hedonic Calculus form of Utilitarianism.

Thoughts
Mill was a firm believer in the idea that the individual was sovereign of their own body, and thus should be in complete control of it. As such, the individual should be allowed to act as they pleased, so long as their actions did not violate the sovereignty of anyone else.

Harm Principal
Continuing on from sovereignty, Mill's Harm Principal suggests that the only time an individual's actions should be limited are when they could harm another, as he puts it in On Liberty:"The object of this Essay is to assert one very simple principle, as entitled to govern absolutely the dealings of society with the individual in the way of compulsion and control, whether the means used be physical force in the form of legal penalties, or the moral coercion of public opinion. That principle is, that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinion of others, to do so would be wise, or even right... The only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign."- The J.S Millinator

Nice Things About J.S. Mill (unconfirmed)

 * Help you move house, without complaining,
 * Always pay you back within the acceptable time-frame of borrowing money
 * Listen to your mix-tape, and then say it was the best combination of fire tracks he'd ever heard


 * Bring more than his fair share of food/drink to a party to balance out the people who 'forgot' and always tip the delivery guy
 * would go to your newphew's flute recital with you because you're estranged from your sibling, but still care for the kid and don't know anyone there and feel it would be awkward without a friend
 * If he saw you were not quite following in an advanced philosophical discussion, phrase his answers in such a way as to make it subtly easier for you to understand
 * Doesn't Vape.

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