John Stuart Mill was a utilitarian, English philosopher and liberal thinker of the 19th century. John Stuart Mill questioned “the extent to which a government or society should limit the personal freedoms of its members.” I think that society should be given personal freedoms to a certain extent. We should be able identify one’s societies or free will. John Stuart Mill says that there must be a balance between personal liberty and adhering to rules of proper behavior as a social citizen. Since we are not complete isolated from society, it can affect our actions and how it affect others. For example, taking risks in life causes no harm to oneself but when someone starts to seek what society does individuality is questioned. Being silenced and taking the safe route on something you believe in, would not result in the industrial and other revolutions around the world.
I believe that should be a limit to personal freedom for the good of society. I do agree with Mill because I believe that society could only function as a social machine is if people are strictly kept to a code of conduct. But you could consider the rights that are taken away under such a system. I think the people and government officials should work together to make certain rules and how they get enforced. It is not fair how a tiny fraction of American politicians decide the law of the land and how it affects every citizen. There are always two sides of laws that humane or ethical, based on their morals. But since we live in a diverse world, we should have laws that adhere to our diverse world. It may seem logical to punish people who murder or steal from others, but what about those who are punished by controversial laws regarding rights to marry whomever we want or the right to sell homemade products without a license? What about the laws that existed in the past which prevented African Americans from even being citizens or women from voting? These laws were and are in place in many places in America, yet many find them unfair. As a Filipino American living in America these issues matter to me because I live in two different worlds. There is one world is with my Filipino heritage and the other is adapting to a “typical” American life. I have to adapt to both worlds because I was influenced