S. Mill is commonly understood as a passionate critic of paternalistic practices. In On Liberty(1859) he writes of the individual that “[i]n the part [of conduct] which merely concerns himself,his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individualis sovereign” (On Liberty, CW XVIII, 224). However, Mill’s fierce opposition to paternalism hasbeen questioned by some scholars given his stated philosophical commitments. Using textualevidence from the assigned readings, write a 4-5 page essay (double-spaced) examining whetherMill can consistently oppose all paternalism provided that he professes to be a utilitarian.Note: Paternalism is the interference by a government or individual with another person’sself-regarding liberty for the purpose of making that person better off than they would otherwisebe. For example, seat-belt laws are a commonly-cited instance of state paternalism because theyrequire drivers to protect themselves while driving their vehicle.Additional Instructions:Papers should be double-spaced with 1” margins on all sides, 12-point font Times New Roman.You may not consult secondary (or outside) sources for this assignment. However, you arerequired to provide textual evidence (properly cited) from the primary sources to support yourargument. Do not just offer your opinion—make an argument and support it. You may usewhichever citation system you prefer (e.g., MLA, Chicago, Harvard) as long as it is a formalcitation system. You should include a works cited page if you are using editions other than theones assigned for this course.Here is the link to the assigned reading you can use evidence from. Please click on the table of contents to find chapter 1-5https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/robson-the-collected-works-of-john-stuart-mill-volume-xviii-essays-on-politics-and-society-part-i
