Where would you be without the fundamental understanding of liberty?
Can you argue your liberty positions with facts?
Wikipedia will not give you the best tools to explain it.
You’ll only find that here with helpful hints from the writings of John Stuart Mill.
Basis for Liberty
The Individual
Decisions, decisions, decisions… That is the foundation for the individual. You have allegiance to yourself and your body.
Your life is up to you. While you can receive input from other influences, YOUR decisions are what affect YOUR ultimate reality.
While the government freely hands out money from the “money tree”, you should not expect that government assistance to support you long-term. You must make your own living and path in this world.
Your family is a group of individuals. Your son or daughter will eventually make their own decisions once they are of legal age.
It is scary to dream of the day that your daughter will bring home her first boyfriend. You might need to hire a trunk monkey to protect her; however, that is ultimately her decision once she reaches adulthood.
Your son might be inclined to drive fast around tight curves. Decisions like that generate life experience in knowing what you can and cannot do in life.
Civil Liberties
Individuals have civil liberties just existing.
No ruler can impede, whether that be a president or a prime minister, on liberties.
Passing a law to arbitrarily imprison you because you stared at them wrong on the sidewalk is against your rights.
The misuse of arbitrary power is discussed in great detail in the founding documents.
How are these rights protected?
1. Founders introduced constitutional checks and balances.
The United States has not only a federal constitution, but individual states have their own constitution. Many of the founding fathers helped to draft many of those constitutions.
2. Frequent elections are another guard.
By having elections mandated by constitutions, tyrannical leaders do not have time to solidify their power. Our elected representatives will not have the will of the people if they start restricting civil liberties. The populous should and would vote them out.
Anti-Liberty Tendencies
Factions
Factions are a detriment to liberties.
The most vivid imagery of a factional government is a “Banana Republic”. Charismatic leaders commandeer an elected government through revolution.
These places appear in vacation magazines as “Top places to visit in…”. They lose their international recognition once local stability is compromised.
While pictures of the nice beach destination appear alluring, the government factions that constantly stage coup d’états are places you would not want to take your family.
As an individual, you ponder all available information to give your family the “no vote” of visiting that beach.
Tyranny of the Majority
Within stable governments, some factions will make themselves the majority. They will rise to power and impose their will on the rest of the populous through force of law.
That is the danger of the majority.
The “Public” consists of the majority. According to Mill, the public consists of “miscellaneous collection of a few wise and many foolish individuals.”
The intelligent people will NOT be the ones leading the mob to victory. The lunatics will lead the mob to a fiery doom.
The USA does have a democratic form of government. We use elected representatives to promote change via the ballot box. This form of government is not a direct democracy but a Republic.
Freedom of the Mind
Our thoughts are what never can be taken from us. They are our own. This makes them our right as a human being.
Liberty of Thought is a Right
You can think about the most asinine concepts. You do have the right to have your own opinions.
You can have your religious beliefs. Jesus is king to some while not to others.
You can believe that the world is flat, but we all the that the world is round. The public would consider the flat earth opinion fringe.
You also have the right to believe in conspiracy theories. At my local bookstore, there is an entire section called “The Theory of the Kennedy Assassination”.
Liberty of the Press is a Right
Having a free and uninhibited press guard against a tyrannical government.
Any modern news network leans left or right depending on how they interpret the facts. Media outlets are also incredible liars. They will suppress the facts that they disagree with, edit camera footage to discredit facts, and outright call for other’s censorship.
The liberty of the press stated in the First Amendment allows for all those freedoms that the media enjoy in the USA.
While the media can misquote facts, can the government do that to its citizens?
The short answer would be no, but there is a caveat. The government does misuse its power against the people.
The government like the media will suppress the facts, hush opinions that they do not like, and pass legislation to use the force of law to silence opposition.
A dangerous act against liberty was the Sedition Act of 1798 signed by John Adams. If a citizen wrote articles against the government, they could and were imprisoned.
This act expired in 1801 causing Adams to lose reelection due to its disapproval by the public.
Adams was a strong proponent of liberty although the Sedition Act was the canker sore of his presidency.
Problems with Thought and Public Opinion
“All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility.” – John Stuart Mill
Suppressed opinions could be true
This was one of Mill’s strongest arguments for liberty. People think that they can never make a mistake.
When someone tries to silence you of your opinions, they are admitting that they already have faults since they do not want to even hear the other side of the argument. Your opponent wants to silence you before you’re even heard, yet, they could be wrong themselves.
For example, have you ever seen the game show Family Feud?
The host will ask a question from a survey of public opinion that has been taken. Your goal is to hit the buzzer to answer the question before your opponent does. By tapping in, you are silencing your opposition before they have a chance to answer. The answer that you give could be wrong, therefore, causing you to be fallible (capable of making errors).
The main point from the above example is that no one is immune from being wrong even if you are one of the best intellectuals of your given specialty.
People only associate within their own thought groups.
You automatically silence yourself when you associate yourself within your own thought group.
I get it!
You are only comfortable with people that are or think like you. That is human nature, but you need to fight against that temptation if you want to accept the liberty principles.
These groups that you associate with become your “echo chamber”.
People should never impose thoughts on other people unless they wholeheartedly believe that they’re right.
1. Doctrines that are dangerous to society need to be challenged.
Where would the world be without anyone to stand up to tyrannical leaders?
What would have happened to the American Revolution if angry colonists had not stood up against the British?
Alternative history is always fun to ponder, but doctrines that are unchallenged typically lead to military conflict or conflict in general.
Governments tend to increase military budgets and raise new taxes to allot for the new military hardware needed to squash the rebellion or enemy.
This will lead to new taxes that will never be rescinded. Thomas Paine, an American Patriot, writes extensively about this in his work The Rights of Man.
2. Every opinion will have to be supported with facts and a story to persuade people to believe that maxim.
Opinions constantly change with new discussions and world experience.
This is how society has progressed from forming fires by rubbing two sticks together to acquiring the technology through discussion to start a fire with the simple flip of a natural gas switch in your own home.
There were many discussions on what was needed, techniques to start, and how to maintain the warmth of the fire once started.
Each slow progression acquired new stories and background to provide a surefire way of creating that wondrous fire. People practiced their advice to keep that flame alive literally and figuratively.
Public opinion changes many dynamics of society.
If you remember the definition of the public as some intelligent people mixed with lunatics, then public opinion will not surprise you.
Most public opinion is not based on truths, but on what the society deems important. Society will even at times try to suppress you if you do not agree.
That is another dangerous reason for tyranny of the majority.
Since society is now the judge and jury (equivalent to the Salem Witch Trials), Mills proposes that infallibility has shifted from the individual to a group of people.
Yet again, we find ourselves in the situation mentioned above. The only difference this time is that society as a whole are responsible for the tyranny against liberty.
The best way to express this is to think of the heat of the sun. The sun’s core temperature is around 27 million degrees. In other words, hot as hell. The sun represents an individual’s opinion.
Now, think of thousands of stars like the sun beaming all their 27 million core temperatures down on you at the same time. Those beams are like public opinion tossing you here and there. It is a chaotic scene.
You are at the mercy of the public opinion because they decide what is moral, ethical, and lawful even it goes against the good of the individual.
New ideas and thoughts (truths) will receive criticism because often no harm is done.
Having an honest open dialogue about a new idea is crucial to advance society, but public lunatics can always stymie new ideas.
1. New ideas are often treated like criminals.
In the modern world, countries and societies stifle free speech much like the Sedition Act of 1798.
A new phenomenon called “cancel culture” encourage hate speech laws that have begun to permeate western society.
They detract from an open society!
If you are threatened with persecution for an opinion, that is an abomination to liberty. You are treated like a criminal at that point.
2. New opinions may often take time to appear.
Slavery was not completely abolished in the USA until after the completion of the Civil War in 1865. There had been some anti-slavery sentiment throughout many states in the union before the commencement of the war. Nonetheless, those new opinions took almost a century after the founding of the USA to align with public sentiment
Mill informs us of the following: “With us, heretical opinions do not perceptibly gain, or even, lose, ground in each decade or generation: they never blaze out far and wide, but continue to smoulder in the narrow circles of thinking…”
Indeed, the Civil War did bring the USA to a fiery smoldering heap of rubble that we will hopefully never see again in our history.
Solutions to Help Free Speech
Know your opponent’s arguments
You should be able to defend your opinions on the most fundamental objections to maintain your freedom of thought against criticism.
If you condemn every opponent, you’ll lose your audience. Talking with honesty and calmness is a better way to persuade people to your side. To Mills, only 1% of the population talks with openness.
Must be teachers of liberty to maintain Liberty
Like any concept, there must be willing “liberty professors”.
You don’t have to be a university professor.
You don’t have to be a doctor.
You don’t have to be a constitutional lawyer.
You DO need to be passionate about liberty. I am passionate about liberty. I want to help educate you about the principles of liberty and freedom.
Must be opposing parties to debate truths
As much as some people detest the opposite political party members, the other side is necessary to develop the truth.
No matter how immoral you think that “half-truth” or “falsity” to exist, debate it. The true truth and best ideas will come to fruition.
Political Parties
You consider them as the bad guys while you see yourself as a saint compared to modern politicians. They are still needed.
The Republicans are the party of stability. They are the party of a steady river.
The Democrats (Progressives) are the party that want to change everything. Democrats are class 4 or 5 rapids when everyone falls off the boat whitewater rafting.
Liberties for the Individual
Liberty to Pursue Happiness
The only exception to this is that you must not harm other people.
Liberty to Assemble
The only caveat to this liberty is that mobs carrying torches, forks, and spears (think mob in Beauty and the Beast) should be discouraged.
Individualism Defined
We hear “individualism” discussed in daily conversation. What is individualism? How does it relate to liberty?
Individuals should be free to carry out their inklings at OWN PERIL both morally and physically.
1. Individual Morality
“I told you not to do that.” is what you hear from family members that disapprove of your daily activities.
The world loves to tell people what to do.
For example, you will always have that aunt at family reunions tell you what’s going on with everybody and everything. She will let you know if a cousin of yours is pro-creating with another cousin.
That is always a morality question.
2. Individual Physicality
Does being a stunt actor for Hollywood impact only you?
Yes, is the short answer.
However, what happens if you have a family to take care of? That short answer of “yes” becomes a little more complicated with a family.
If you’re single, you know the individual risk to your well-being.
Going 100 mph down a ramp to make a long jump is exhilarating, but the physical risk will always be present.
Each person’s daily routine and life experiences are all different
1. Individual truths can be learned from other individual customs and interpretations
Have you ever looked at National Geographic wondering how some of those spectacular pictures are captured of an African tribe?
People with heart and openness are pursuing those pictures. They dedicate their entire lives to learning every aspect of that culture.
While some of those tribes appear archaic in their ways, they could discover an herbal way to cure cancer that’s never been tested. Do you know how many lives that would save if that was successful?
The individual freedom to learn about new cultures not only could enlighten you but others.
2. Don’t let the world rule you.
Mills compared individuals who do not think for themselves as “ape-like”. In other words, they just repeat what other’s talking points are.
Are you a leader, or do you like to be lead?
The strong individual will take a stand when necessary. That is how liberty and freedom are preserved.
If you don’t like what is going on at your local political institutions, run for that office.
Go door-to-door and campaign for that candidate that best matches your values; values that promote liberty and freedom.
If you stare at a state capitol at sunset and feel nothing but misery in your heart, that’s when you know you should run for office or campaign for people with the best candor.
That kind of action is what separates the apes from the humans.
3. Must manage strong impulses for the betterment of humanity
We all have that minute voice inside our conscious that whispers to us in our dreams.
You wake up desperately trying to recollect what that passing voice mentioned but unable to recall it.
That passing voice was a strong impulse in your brain that either was meant for malice or goodness.
Goodness is what a strong individual utilizes those strong inclinations for.
You define what that limit is.
Humanity loses by not allowing individualism
To Mill, ubiquitous tyranny is not itself the worst considering that you have some individualistic freedom even under tyranny. However, whatever force that crushes individualism, like a bug squashed on the front of a windshield, is complete and utter authoritarianism.
In other words, individualism that is forbidden by law, or decree, is tyranny. You have no liberty to exercise your thoughts and will be punished if you do. They want to silence you!
Viktor Frankl was a Holocaust survivor. He wrote a book called Man’s Search for Meaning that described his traumatizing experiences in NAZI concentration camps.
For someone who was not there, it is hard to fathom the pure authoritarianism in those camps. Every day was an emotional drain. His individualism was non-existent.
Society lost fantastic souls and individuals who would have benefited both you and me- even many generations removed from that era.
Individualism breeds originality
We all have those areas of town where we lower our sunglasses to see numerous different tied-dyed shirts, 1960s Volkswagen vans, and hairstyles that would make your grandmother say “them youngins” as she shakes her head.
Those are the visuals that immediately come to mind when we think of originality and eccentricity.
Originality also means with your thoughts about life.
1. People with free will and liberty are where the best thoughts reside.
Most of your favorite devices such as the I-phone, I-pad, and windows computer were developed by eccentric individuals.
Who is the world economic power?
The United States leads the world in economic development.
This advancement is attributed to an open ideas concept only guaranteed because of the liberty of thought.
2. Mediocrity is normal so you must strive to be better.
Public opinion is always going to oppose eccentricity because they only accept the “norm”.
Mill refers to this as “collective mediocrity”.
Linguistics is important when it comes to terminology such as “the collective”. This term is another name for public opinion and tyranny of the majority.
This term is the enemy of individual liberty and freedom.
The collective will control you.
The collective will decide what is best for you.
For instance, the collective could be your friend group when they converge on you because they do not like who you are dating.
The individual that you are dating could even be a good-hearted person. That person is clean, doesn’t cuss, and even your momma likes them.
Your friends, in this case, are public opinion and want you to stay mediocre by not advancing your love life. They will shun you if you do not decide to break up with this person for the betterment of them- not yourself.
World-changing results, whether in your own life or technological, will never happen if you or your neighbor only aim for “just good enough”.
Don’t just bow down to conform.
Each human is different.
We all have different life experiences.
1. We all have different hair, sizes, abilities, tastes, and intellect.
There are better bloggers than me.
There are better-looking people than me.
There are better people at creating than me.
There are better people with better hair than me.
There is always going to be someone that will accomplish a task better than you or me.
2. Our natural inclination is to make everyone the same to minimize disagreements.
Most public high schools have student bodies with similar knowledge and sentiments.
But then college comes for most.
Students mix with others from different outlooks, pasts, and life experiences.
People’s individuality comes to the forefront when needed to defend their background and steadfast opinions.
3. Diversity amongst people is good.
When people think of diversity, they automatically think of someone from a different culture.
Diversity also entails people in your community with different outlooks on worldly issues.
There could be diversity of thought on proper lawn care techniques. One guy likes mowing in diagonals while the other likes mowing in straight lines.
Both are not wrong, but that is diversity.
Limits of Authority Over Individual
As Americans, we do not like to ponder limits on our freedoms. Not all those limits on our freedoms should be controlled by the government.
Those freedoms controlled by the government should be so small that we should have to scratch our heads on how the government has intruded in our lives today.
Some of our own families might be the ones to limit our freedoms.
Someday you might become a wife or husband, there are limits on your freedoms when you become attached.
Don’t get me wrong! I am not speaking badly about your wife or husband, but you do have certain limits with any adventure in life.
Conduct should not injure the interests of others.
Much like Thomas Paine who warned against arbitrary power, we (as individuals) do not have arbitrary power to injure other people intentionally.
There are some precautions that individuals can take to help prevent injury.
You can warn someone of wrongs.
Your family is closest to you. Most individuals will listen to a family member telling them of impending bad behavior.
Hey, they are family. We will listen to them. They can tell us gently without any harm.
If you do not listen to your family about your “bad boy or bad girl” status, Santa Clause will give you that lump of coal for Christmas. Worse off, your family has the moral authority to shun you.
For example, you come home drunk from the bar every night and cause a ruckus. You’re continually warned about your behavior. The next action is for your family to leave you because of your harmful acts.
Reasons why people can encroach on the rights of others for moral retribution.
1. You lie to them.
You are known as the biggest crackpot storyteller in town.
2. You have unfair advantages over someone.
You might constantly remind a family member of the “dirty little secrets” that you could reveal.
3. You are selfishly absent from defending them.
You don’t defend your innocent child from harm because you’re on a drunken adventure.
Each person bears responsibility for defending society from harm.
There is nothing wrong with good Samaritans. They have helped many people over the years in modern times and the past.
You may be punished by opinion but not necessarily law.
This point goes back to moral authority- or moral reprobation.
The issue is open for discussion when the general welfare of society is involved. Modern examples of this would be protecting society from dangerous diseases that others see as the end of the world.
Education should be done with gentleness by conviction and persuasion- not compulsion.
How do you educate a child? Conviction, persuasion, or compulsion?
Measure your success and let me know which works. I have my guess.
Issues should have a long-established history of being proven harmful to make a law.
Should there be laws made against drunk driving?
Should we have seatbelt laws?
Should we have laws against the homeless?
When there is a chance of damage to the public, the risk is assessed by morality or law.
At all costs, the solution should be more moral retribution than a law.
Will the solution harm the individual more than protect the public? What is the intent of the new proposed law? How much more power does it grant to the government?
Theories Society has Devised Necessary for the Individual
Can the public have jurisdiction over our bodies?
Constructive Injury
A person’s actions that will only hurt themselves is constructive injury.
Thus, the only harm done is to the individual, and the individual has no specific obligation to the public.
The public will try to claim jurisdiction over this risk of injury, but they should not. This will hinder the freedom of the individual to think for themselves.
What will happen if the public tries to intercede on the individual’s choices?
The accused person will rebel and become an outlaw in the public’s eyes. They are a dissident.
The moral police will knock at your door claiming that you did an injustice to them.
Social Right Theory
This is one of the most DANGEROUS threats to liberty.
We all have rights as individuals, but how do we define societal rights? Public opinion will claim what they believe to be rights if they feel strongly enough about them.
Some public sentiment will include daily life struggles as rights.
Social rights theory is if any social action by an individual hinders my rights of personal security, economic equality, and intellectual development, I (as a member of society) have justification to petition the government to dictate legislation that I deem harmful into compulsory law.
Most of these types of laws only hinder the individual. These laws are passed with great haste and no real debate amongst the legislature because these laws are referred to as the “feel good” laws.
“We need to do something!” said the public.
Look at the laws passed in the 18th and 19th centuries that are still on the local and state registries today.
Any law of this type imposed on social actions should regulate the commercial aspect of the theory- not the social act itself.
Conclusion
You are the most important person when it comes to liberty. As an individual member of society, you don’t realize the power that you have to influence the world you live in.
Without the contributions of the individual creative souls, revolutionary ideas and inventions would not have survived through the cosmos.
The tyranny of the majority will try to stop you in your tracks.
Don’t stop learning and growing because your rights -as an individual- never stop. Tyrants will want to take them away.
LEARN MORE about police powers from John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty.
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