For much of the 19th century, the United States was involved in a struggle over a human right more significant than the freedom of press – the freedom of every individual from slavery. While America remained preoccupied by its civil war, John Stuart Mill worked on his conception of freedom of expression, publishing On Liberty, in 1859. Focussing on civil rights, such as, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech, it motioned towards due process and the right to a fair trial, the entitlement to own property and respect of individual privacy. These social responsibilities and rights are often taken as subjective norms, as well as permeated normality.

The scope of Mills essay is subjected upon Social Liberty and the ability that governments can legitimately reserve power over society and the individual. Mill predicts that this question will become increasingly important because some humans have entered a more civilized stage of development, which presents “new conditions” under which issues of individual liberty must be addressed.

Concordantly, the concept of liberty is attributed to ancient Greece, Rome and England, whereby liberty implied “protection against the tyranny of political rulers,” and rulers and subjects were often thought to have a necessarily antagonistic relationship. The leader did not govern by the will of his people, and while his power was seen as necessary, it was also considered dangerous….

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