John Stuart Mill talks about the Harm Principle in his essay, On Liberty, though it is also discussed in John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government. J.S. Mill basically says that government should not forcibly prevent people from engaging in victimless crimes, specifically non-consensual harm.
“The object of this Essay is to assert one very simple principle, as entitled to govern absolutely the dealings of society with the individual in the way of compulsion and control, whether the means used be physical force in the form of legal penalties, or the moral coercion of public opinion. That principle is, that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That 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. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinion of others, to do so would be wise, or even right… The only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.”
Being that each individual is a soveriegn entity, a legal system should maximize personal liberty so long as it does not infringe on someone else’s liberty.
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Shit niga, wtf does that mean. If individuals cause harm to others then government is rightfully obligated to punish or intervene? If someone chooses to harm themselves without negative intentions of others in a society then that’s legit?
“If individuals cause harm to others then government is rightfully obligated to punish or intervene?”
If Person A inflicts non-consensual physical harm to Person B, the State, as an institution of Society, is obligated to intervene because Person B’s liberty is infringed by Person A.
“If someone chooses to harm themselves without negative intentions of others in a society then that’s legit?”
If a person chooses to harm themselves, that’s a bad thing, but the State has no legitimate reason to interfere.
This is according to JS Mill.
[...] libertarians seem to adopt J.S. Mills’ idea of the “harm principle” (also termed “aggression”) as the sole justification for criminal laws, rather [...]