PROBLEMS OF DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM
Rousseau argued that to restore human freedom it is necessary to bring the
laws into accordance with the general will of the population: i.e.: to
establish democracy. According to Rousseau democracy and freedom are
partners. We have nothing to fear from the general will because it is our
own will. Rousseau's position seems to have been taken over lock-stock and
barrel by Marx.
A very similar idea (without reference to Rousseau or, of course, Marx) is
criticized by Mill at the end of Principles of Political Economy:
"many.. have been prone to think that limitation of the powers of the
government is only essential when the government itself is badly
constituted; when it does not represent the people, but is the organ of a
class, or a coalition of classes: and that a government of sufficiently
popular constitution might be trusted with any amount of power over the
nation, since its power would be only that of the nation itself"
"Experience, however, proves that the depositories of power who are mere
delegates of the people.. are quite as ready when they think that can count
on popular support) as any organs of oligarchy, to assume arbitrary power,
and encroach unduly on the liberty of private life. The public collectively
is abundantly ready to impose, not only its generally narrow views of its
interests, but its abstract opinions, and even its tastes, as laws binding
on individuals."
(Mill, J.S.
1848 5.11.3. 1900 edition p 570)
Mill disagreed with the idea that we have nothing to fear from the General
Will. Whatever our political institutions, he argued:
"there is a circle around every individual human being, which no
government.. ought to be permitted to overstep."
(Mill, J.S.
1848 5.11.2 1900 edition p 569)
The only question is "how large the circle?"
In On Liberty he provided an answer: Everything concerning the inner
and outer life of the individual that does no harm to others should be
inside the circle. The Principle that he set up was
"The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any
member of a civilized community against his will, is to prevent harm to
others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient
warrant."
(
Mill, J.S. 1859)
SELF DEVELOPMENT AND REAL LIFE
The idea of freedom as self-development was no empty abstraction. John and
Harriet believed that it had enormous practical consequences for men, women
and children throughout the world. It was not just a concept that they had
thought up, it was part of their analysis of the course of human history.
We have already seen this outlined by Harriet Taylor in Principles of
Political Economy. In The Subjection of Women Mill took the idea further.