Reference no: EM133448029
First, give Mill's account of the limits of Governmental and Social Coercion. Be sure to give and explain the Principle of Liberty and explain how Mill's reasoning is Utilitarian. Next, apply Mill's theory to a specific contemporary debate regarding coercion - that is, carefully consider how a Millian should side in a specific contemporary issue. Be sure to carefully weigh all the considerations that would matter to giving a Millian analysis of the problem (does the act to be coerced against cause significant harm to identifiable others, what are the different consequences of coercing and not coercing, etc.?)
Finally, argue whether the Millian analysis you gave is correct - in one of the two following ways.
Option 1: If you think Mill's theory gets it right, then give Mill's arguments (using your debate as an example) for why only harm to others should count as grounds for coercion. Be sure to at least consider a serious objection to your conclusion.
Option 2: If you think the Millian analysis is wrong, then give arguments that it is wrong, using your debate as an example (e.g., argue that there is reason to coerce on the grounds of Paternalism, Legal Moralism, Lockean Property Rights, or Contractarianism. That is, argue that Mill's theory requires us to ignore considerations that should play a role in determining whether coercion is justified).