The Harm Principle: Balancing Social Progress in John Stuart Mill’s Political Philosophy

Abstract

This article argues that the harm principle is a mechanism that seeks to strike a balance between individual judgement and social stability. I will refute the claim that the harm principle can be interpreted in a paternalistic way and, instead, argue that the purpose of John Stuart Mill’s view of the harm principle was to foster social progress. Therefore, Mill’s emphasis often shifted from individual freedom to social control. Contrary to what some scholars claim, this was not the result of an inconsistency in his thinking but was derived from his focus on social progress.