In the time when the subject of Liberty was rarely spoken about, but always on the mind, a man named John Stuart Mill decided to challenge the beliefs of his age. Mill has been regarded as one the most influential philosophers of his time. In one of his many great pieces, On Liberty, Mill writes about the rise of public opinion and the dangers of any soceity becoming a 'tyranny of majority'. Mill esplains that a society not only has to be on its gaurd from tyrannical leaders that abuse the power given to them, but also of the opinions and wills of the majority of the people. Mill states that there also needs to be "protection against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling". Mill believed that the ones who ruled over the citizens needed to have similar ideologies with the people of the society. They should want the same things and their overall interests should be the same interests of the nation as a whole. On Liberty describes the importance of every individual being slef-governed rather than being told what to think, and it gives the reader an idea about what freedom really means.

Liberty, according to Mill, was meant by the "protection against the tyranny of the political rulers". Often times the rulers who held the power used it as a tool against their own people rather than look at what the people wanted and needed. They were corrupt leaders who didnt hold the same interests as the people they governed, and they used the power for their own personal gain instead of using it to help create a more peaceful society. So the meaning of liberty that was meant by the Patriots of that time was to put a limit on the amount of power that a ruler could have over subjects. Mill also points out that "the people who exercise the power are not always the same people with those over whom it is exercised". The will of the 'people' is actually the will of the majority, and the tyranny of the majority is also dangerous and something that a society must always be on their guard about. So where should the limit of power be placed? Mill believed that there should be rules of conduct that must be implemented, and the laws are to be determined by the likings and the dislikings of a community. Mill suggests that there is a very simple principle that a society should follow, and that is that the purpose of "power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others". To justify exercising the use of power over an invidual, he must have done somethinfg to harm someone else. The rule is to account a person responsible for causing harm to another, the exception is to make him accountable for not preventing evil. No society is considerd as free, but a person has the right to their own free will as long as they dont attempt to do others harm. Each person is responsible for himself. Though the doctrine is not new, Mill believes that "there is no doctrine which stands more directly opposed to the gerneal tendency of existing opinion and practice".

As long as the citizens follow Mills' simple principle, they will be self-governed and have their own voice instead of being just part of the majority. There will be rulers with power, but that power will be limited and they won't have as much social control. People will be responsible for their own lives, and they will know what it really means to be free. People won't in turn be molded by their government, rather they will mold the government to fit their wants and needs. The purpose of Mills principle is to strengthen any society and create a more peaceful environment for the citizens to live in. He believes it isn't right for one leader to control all the power, and that the people should have a say over how their lives will turn out. It isn't up to just one person on how to run everyone else's lives.

In On Liberty, Mill states that a ruler should not be abloe to have full reign of pwer over his people, there needs to be placed a limit as to make sure people have their independence and are not forced to adhere to social control. Rulers of a society need to be indentifiable with its people, and have the same intrest as all the subjects. The will and opinions of the majority aslo need to be considered when dealing with Liberty. Mill says a oersin has the right to their own free will as long as they do not intend to harm those around them. If a society was to follow Mills' simple principle, they would achieve Liberty. Achieving Liberty, and being responsible for your ownself is the ultimate goal for which a society should aim, and Mills gives us a compelling consideration of the true meaning of freedom.