On Liberty

Limits of Gov't power

The limit of government power is a significant philosophical question because, as a collective whole, can we govern ourselves and exert power over another individual or do we need the guidance of the government? If government has too much power, it can become dangerous. As our society evolves, we require different treatment than we did back in the Roman or Medieval days. There was a time when kings did not rule by the will of the people. It was felt that their positions of power were much needed but also could be detrimental. The people wanted the power of government to be limited so that they could be assured their liberty. This eventually changed over time to where people started to look to government to serve them & make choices for what they wanted. Government can either have power over the people or the people can impose their opinions or values on others. The limit of government power has a large impact on our society because are they acting in our best interest or their own?

Mill's premise is the only time an individual or society can interfere with a person's liberty is for self-protection. If a person causes harm to anyone, whether