John Stuart Mill

I'm currently reading some John Stuart Mill which I've been dying to do since I was first exposed to him in an ethics class. It's some pretty deep writing, but very clear which is always good to see from a philosopher. If you're interested in thoughts on liberty, personal freedom, and the role of government I highly suggest reading some of Mill's work. I haven't finished it yet, but one the basic tenets of his thought is that the government should not infringe upon personal freedoms unless it is to prevent somebody from harming another or the common good of the people. Of course this raises many questions about what constitutes harm since one could make the argument that conflicting opinions amount to coercive actions which may be viewed as harmful to the common good depending on what is said relative to the general opinions of the masses. But Mill counters this with argument that dissenting opinions are good since they challenge what we may perceive to be truth. If we are found to be right then simply have a stronger sense of truth, if we are wrong, then of course one is enlightened. However, Mill likes to believe that real truth lies somewhere between two conflicting viewpoints. I think this is something that is very applicable to today's society and political scene. Truth is relative my friends and we must be willing to challenge our own beliefs. Mill makes a great point that throughout history as time has passed, humankind has found that what were thought to be previous truths, are in fact, false. So it is extremely dangerous to fall into custom or to start seeing things through tunnel vision since those with power will seek to streamline their support and crush any dissenting opinion. Truth is extremely fluid and ever changing and instead of butting heads, today's politicians need to learn to work together and find real solutions; solutions that generally lay in between Republican and Democrat, Liberal and Conservative. Mill's thoughts really should apply to all of us though. We can all be individuals while respecting the lives of others.