Read chapters 1 and 2 of “Mill’s Liberty” and write a philosophical analysis paper on it. Chapters 1 and 2 can be found here: http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/mill1859_1.pdf Much of the first chapter is a historical account. Do not focus your paper on any perceived historical mistakes you might find. Focus on his claims and arguments about ethical issues or political policy (he’s offering moral arguments to defend certain political policies). There are plenty of controversies buried in his arguments that you can focus on. For example, his views would seem to have implications for things like speech on campus, NFL players “taking a knee,” helmet laws, requiring everyone to have healthcare, to name just a few. Here is the basic idea for this essay: First, read the assigned article several times. When you think you understand it, select an aspect of the article that you find particularly interesting, troubling, exciting, confusing, or problematic. “An aspect of the article” does not necessarily mean a particular section of it; it means a claim or set of claims to which the author is committed, either by explicitly arguing for them, or implicitly presupposing them. Your paper will introduce the reader to the point you will be making, carefully reconstruct and explain the aspect of the article you will be focusing on, and make an argument that evaluates that aspect of the article. The conclusion of your argument is your thesis and is the point you are making with the paper. See below for more details about each of these parts of your paper. Writing Style Your analysis should be concise and thorough. Do not engage in: – Unnecessary editorializing – Pointless repetition – Personal attacks on the author or questioning of the author’s psychological motives – Complaining about the author’s writing style or choice of words Ideally, every word of your essay should contribute to establishing your thesis. In short, always strive to express yourself in the simplest, clearest, and most precise terms possible. All direct quotations must, of course, be identified as such with a citation. However, in general, an essay of this type should make minimal use of direct quotations. As a rule, one should only quote an author if the precise way in which he or she has chosen to express something figures essentially into your analysis. Never simply substitute a quotation for your own summary of what the author is saying. Format Your analysis must contain the following three sections, in this order: – Introduction – Summary – Critique
