On Liberty

This issue remains all over the media.

Wearing a mask to abide by the law based on the principle of protecting others is an example of negative freedom; choosing to wear a mask based on a concern for the wellbeing of oneself and others is an example of positive freedom.

If someone decides not to wear a mask at all, there might be valid reasons for her or him not to do so. They sometimes find it ill fitting and a problem if they wear glasses, which tend to steam up. Furthermore, they may work in a community where others rely on the ability to read their lips – either partly, for example those working in noisy industrial environments, or more intensively, as with nursing home staff who need to communicate to those of advanced years who are hearing impaired.

The text this month is John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty published is 1859.

Today, Mill would have only recognized the exercising of liberty in the refusal of some to wear a mask if no one else was bound to suffer as a result. A diehard elitist and scourge of politicians, he also would have sided with the scientific community against the mediocrity (if not incompetence) of politicians.

His philosophy was based on the concept of utilitarianism, the overarching maxim of which is “the greatest good for the greatest number.”

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