Balance between freedom and social utility from "summary" of Utilitarianism and On Liberty by John Stuart Mill
The principle of utility, or the greatest happiness principle, states that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. This principle holds that the ultimate end, with reference to and for the sake of which all other things are desirable, is an existence exempt as far as possible from pain, and as rich as possible in enjoyments. However, this does not mean that individual freedom should be sacrificed for the greater good of society. On the contrary, individual freedom is crucial for the overall happiness of society. People should have the liberty to pur...
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