Second Essay Assignment

Write an essay of 5 or 6 pages on one of the following topics or on a topic that you propose and that your instructor approves. Regardless of topic, your essay should make ample use of the relevant texts, not only representing authors’ views accurately, but also citing and interpreting specific passages where appropriate. It should also go into as much depth and detail as an essay of 5 or 6 pages can. (Do not choose a topic on which you do not think there is a good 5- or 6-page essay to be written.) Finally, your essay should conform to the instructions provided in “Guidelines for Writing a Philosophy Essay,” and will be due in class at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 12.

1. In On Liberty, Mill argues for what he calls the principle of liberty. One concept that’s essential to Mill’s argument is individuality. What does Mill mean by individuality, and how does this concept figure in his argument for the principle of liberty? After explaining this part of Mill’s view, formulate what you think is the strongest argument against this part of Mill’s view and indicate what you think the best reply available to Mill is.
2. In On Liberty, Mill discusses several specific issues to which the principle of liberty can be applied. Following Mill’s example, choose a contemporary controversy about individual liberty—such as the production and consumption of pornography, prayer in school, or same-sex marriage—and explain what the relevant implications of the principle of liberty are. Do you think that the principle of liberty is an appropriate basis for deciding public policy on such issues? Why or why not?