An idea · Nineteenth Century · first attested 1859
The Harm Principle
The only legitimate use of power against an individual is to prevent harm to others.
Mill in On Liberty. Society may not coerce a person merely because it disapproves of their lifestyle or beliefs, so long as they harm no one else. The principle is the philosophical core of classical liberalism and the perennial battleground of contemporary political philosophy: where does harm end? does offense count as harm – and can you harm your own future self?