Abstract

PEREZ SALAZAR, Mauricio. Paternalism, slavery, property rights and marriage in John Stuart Mill. Rev.econ.inst. [online]. 2019, vol.21, n.40, pp.163-183. ISSN 0124-5996.  https://doi.org/10.18601/01245996.v21n40.06.

What are the limits of individual freedom? John Stuart Mill, who was an ardent advocate of liberty as a fundamental value, held that one could not freely choose to be unfree, and posited the extreme example of a person who willingly sells himself as a slave. His example has generated a debate about the consistency of Mill's positions. This article reviews this debate and tries to clarify his point of view using several convergent lines of argument: paternalism, slavery, the definition of property rights and public intervention of the state in markets, and marriage and gender equality.

JEL: A13, B12, B31, K11, K38.

Keywords : John Stuart Mill; liberty; paternalism; slavery; property rights; marriage; gender equality.

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