Limits of Gov't Power

Limits of Gov't power

The limit of government power is a significant philosophical question because, as a collective whole, can we govern ourselves and exert power over another individual or do we need the guidance of the government? If government has too much power, it can become dangerous. As our society evolves, we require different treatment than we did back in the Roman or Medieval days. There was a time when kings did not rule by the will of the people. It was felt that their positions of power were much needed but also could be detrimental. The people wanted the power of government to be limited so that they could be assured their liberty. This eventually changed over time to where people started to look to government to serve them & make choices for what they wanted. Government can either have power over the people or the people can impose their opinions or values on others. The limit of government power has a large impact on our society because are they acting in our best interest or their own?

Mill's premise is the only time an individual or society can interfere with a person's liberty is for self-protection. If a person causes harm to anyone, whether deliberate or not, then society has the right to condemn him through legal means. Mill's feels that society has only a slight

interest in what we do to ourselves or to other consenting adults. Mill's does make a notation that the rights of liberty do not apply to children or to people who can not take care of themselves (backward).

For any society to be free, Mill's feels there should be three categories met. The categories mirror the fact that true freedom means to achieve your happiness in any way, as long as it does not stop anyone else from doing so. Mill's points out that those that have the power are not always the same people that the power is used against. The will of the majority of the people may try to oppress some of their people and this is looked at as an abuse of power.