Liberal MP John Stuart Mill was probably the most influential liberal thinker of the nineteenth century.
TopFoto
In everyday discussion ‘liberalism’ and ‘democracy’ are often treated as synonyms. People say, for example, that in a democracy we should be free to express our views even if other people disagree or are offended by them. It is also thought that in a democracy the majority should decide the laws of the country — but what if the majority voted to remove a person’s right to free speech? We would then have a conflict between:
● the idea that individuals have rights (liberties), such as the right to vote, or marry, or express an opinion, and these should never be taken away, and
Your organisation does not have access to this article.
Sign up today to give your students the edge they need to achieve their best grades with subject expertise
Subscribe
