John Stuart Mill

John Stuart Mill bridged classical and modern liberalism
Promoted “negative freedom,” meaning an absence of rules or restraints
Created the “harm principle”: people should be free unless they hurt others
Divided actions into “self-regarding” (private) and “other-regarding” (affects others)
Believed free debate helps good ideas replace bad ones
Saw liberty as a way for humans to keep improving over time
Focused on “developmental individualism,” or what people have the potential to become
Feared democracy could lead to a “tyranny of the majority” where small groups lose their rights