Commentary on Mill: On Liberty, Ch.II: "Mankind…"/pp. 23-33

J.S Mill believes in the power of diversity in human kind and its many benefits. He expresses his concern on conformity and the harm it does to growth. More specifically his unease rests on bans on freedom of speech. The author of this outline concluded Mill to say that individual thinkers have and may always arise in spite of bans that greatly limit intellectual thinking. However, with bans in place there may never be a collective body of thinkers and a fresh start will not happen until that type of freedom is achieved. The first premise of the outline states the belief that truth will prevail over persecution is false. However, during the course of human kind how often can we observe a body of intellectual thinkers working at once? Is it safe to say that the rule seems to be individuals rising with significantly different viewpoints rather than a body of intellectuals? Even then we can still observe progress and advancement. Has human kind proven several times over that it is within our nature to prevail despite limit in freedom of speech?    

I do not argue for bans against freedom of speech. I do however, believe that truth can and will prevail over persecution as it has been done before however high the price might have been, is or will be. Mill speaks of a number of examples when men in history were persecuted, including Socrates (23). However, just as Mill points out, many if not most of the figures mentioned are individuals still spoken and learned about today. The price was high and lives were lost because they spoke up. These individuals did not speak out blind to the fact that they were going against what was commonly and strongly believed and protected. They spoke out fully aware and in spite of the repercussions. Do these persecutions effectively stop many from coming forward and speaking as well? Yes. However, Socrates and the likes are spoken about today because there were others who felt just as strongly as he did and continued to push through. This resilience with truth is stated by Mill himself (28). How does this differ from the truth prevailing?

It is very ambitious to speak of a new start. Mill speaks of conditions that have to be in place before we can arrive at a free thinking environment where intellects can exchange ideas free of persecution (33). However, these brief moments Mill speaks of existed as he states in a period where old ways of thinking had been dismantled and new ones had not yet been adopted (33). Once a new one is adopted history shows time again a preferred viewpoint takes precedence over others and the cycle starts again. There is not a prolonged period of time where exchanges of speech are free of stigma either from the government or society. As Mill points out social stigma is just as effective as corporal punishment (30). To give a more recent example than that of Mill’s, when President Obama was first running for the White House he did not support gay rights or more specifically gay marriage. However, four years later re-elections around the corner, he changes his stand and suddenly supports gay rights. Why was there a change of heart? It was a political move. He may have supported their beliefs from day one but might have thought it might have been unfavorable for him at the time. This however, feeds into the natural progression of advancement. There will always be two sides to an issue. One individual may be the one to present it but there are those who will dissent and vice versa. The truth will prevail because those who strongly believe in it will not stop from fighting for it despite the outcomes. Mill is correct: It does not take one individual; it takes many. This is always done even if at work during different epochs.      

Mill’s answer to this question might lie in more favorable times. Advancement can be great and vast if exchanges take place in a contemporary environment. The work of one individual may sit there until the times allow it to come back which is very different from the genius we may not be aware of due to fear of persecution. Persecution itself also serves as silencing the individual that could have had greater contributions to society. Part of growth and seeking truth is in feedback and questions that forces the individual to think and dig further into their viewpoint. However, the silence from brilliant minds deprive their fellows from growing and opening as well. Also, an individual could be wrong as well but fear of questioning halts study, learning and growth.