On liberty and subjection of women and chapters on socialism
Response to chapter 4
Introduction
On Liberty is a book authored by John Stuart Mill and which express the plight faced by women in a patriarchal society or the one in which men dominates and takes the largest share in the economy (Jones, 12). The book is set in the Victorian society that has denied women both social and political rights. As a British philosopher and a philanthropist, the author expresses his interest in the manner in which he was fed up in the manner in which women were being treated as subordinates as well as being disempowered in the Victorian society. History is very important. It teaches us of what happened in the past. Through history, the society can make comparison of events that happened in the past and thud shape its current situation towards the positive side (Mill, 199). Through the same history, Mill realized that the society progresses in stages ranging from lower to the higher ones and that this societal progress culminates when there emerges a well-defined system of representative democracy. This essay will thus give the overview of chapter 4 of the book and address the plight of women in that society.
In chapter 4 of the book makes some examination on whether there can be instances when the society can limit the liberty of an individual but in a legitimate manner. In the Victorian society, there exists a form of contract which is socially based. It is that form of contract where all people agree to be part of the society and make agreements that the society can offer some forms of protection whilst asking for some forms of obligations (Taylor, 73). The author suggests that, since the society is under protection, people have the obligation to behave in a certain way and thus each member has the mandate to protect the whole society from harm or any other form of turmoil. Mill crusaded for the eradication of those norms in which women where both physically and mentally less than men. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The contemporary situation of women in the society
Women were not given the mandate and the opportunity to get education. According to Ward et al (229), Mill brings out the clear issue that there was a lot of social discrimination between men and women. In the Victorian society and still based on history, women where not given the permission to get education. This is because the society did not want them to secure equal opportunities as men. Women are thus treated as subordinates. Mill believes that this situation can be ameliorated through giving the same opportunities to men and burying the evil societal history. According to the chapter, the intellectual power of the species as well as the intellect available for good management can be obtained after women are granted the opportunity to access education. This was argued by Jones (9).
Women were not allowed to take part in formulating the general opinion of the family and the society as a whole. According to Mill, the Victorian society was a complete male dominated in every aspect (Englert, 560). Sometimes there used to arose the need to come up with opinions which could be good for societal growth and development. This activity was only undertaken by men and as a result of the same, men used to come up with decision which only favored them and which did not give any hope for the life of women.
According to Englert (563), the Victorian customs and gender roles posed a very difficult situation to women. According to Mill, the Victorian culture was highly widespread and only leaned on one side of the species. The chapter elucidates that the primary duty of women was to please and serve others but out their own desires on hold. This means that women were taught and expected to attract men so as to get a suitable husband. Once married, women here also allowed to only spend time at home, attend to the children, and do what she could do to please her husband as well as attend to the affairs of the family (Taylor, 73). This situation could be bettered through granting women equal opportunities as men.
According to the chapter, women faced what was termed as the cult of domesticity. This is the case whereby women were not allowed to be seen idling in towns and shopping centers (page 197). The cult of domesticity provided that women in the Victorian society where supposed to remain and attend to domestic chores only as well as those aimed at making their men happy. According to the author, this was a very negative treatment of women and it could be ameliorated through granting women more political and legal rights same to men (Mill, 199).
The chapter explains that women in the Victorian society lived in a cloud of slavery. Since the female humanity lacked the liberty to work and earn a living, they were only required to rely on men for everything and this made them live as slaves (Kurer, 76). Mill uses a comparison to a case where a slave is always fearful of displeasing his master simply because the master is the source of everything which 6he salve needs for living including feeding and clothing. The same happened to women in the Victorian society whereby they depended on men for shelter, food and clothing and thus making them to be even more submissive to men so as to acquire all what they needed. This could be corrected through women empowerment, as argued by Mill (2016).
Benefits to the society if women are granted the same liberty as men.
Extending liberty to women will be an avenue for societal growth (Mill 206). According to the chapter, Mill claims that the society makes progress from lower stages to higher stages. For fast progress to be achieved by the Victorian society, women are supposed to be granted the same liberty as men and be given the same rights as men. These includes the right to education as well as the right for interdependence. Mill (2017) claims that he who educates a woman educates the whole society. This is thus a very important benefit that could accrue to the society.
Granting the same liberty to women as men will help in building up law and morality in the society. According to Mill, the society should be guided by well set and formulated laws and morality. This began early time ago, especially in Greece and Rome where the violation of the law attracted a very huge sanctions of the court. Nevertheless, this chapter of the book postulates that part of liberty for individuals involves allowing them the freedom to pursue their own choices but not choices which have been manipulated by others (Kurer, 77). With freedom, morality emanates and thus a society can achieve high levels of development.
Liberty is an instrumental value as well as a fundamental requirement by every member of the society. Liberty serves the wellbeing of the whole society and thus makes the society to achieve high models of growth and development (page 212). If women are given the same measure of liberty as men, they will first grow at personal level them make the family grow as well. This will help in eradicating those poor values and customs which have taken a mega part in the Victorian society
Mill says that granting women liberty will that it will bring a plea of democracy and political equality. A good democracy is the representative one whereby the rights of each gender in the society are protected. In the chapter, Mill claims that the rights and needs of women can be well understood my women themselves but not man Ward et al (229). Due to this fact, the society should allow women to represent their own affairs in the government so that their status can be improved. This will be advantageous in that, it will help the society in achieving a state of political equality.
Granting women the same liberty as men will assist in eradicating the evil traditional customs in the society. These are the customs which do not recognize women and those ones which co9nsider them as weak, emotional and docile min the society (Mill, 214). Granting equal liberty to women as men will also prevent them from being slaves of men as well as helping the society gain good values which can guide marriages.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the chapter makes some examination on whether there can be instances when the society can limit the liberty of an individual but in a legitimate manner. In the Victorian society, there exists a form of contract which is socially based. It is that form of contract where all people agree to be part of the society and make agreements that the society can offer some forms of protection whilst asking for some forms of obligations. The author suggests that, since the society is under protection, people have the obligation to behave in a certain way and thus each member has the mandate to protect the whole society from harm or any other form of turmoil. Mill crusaded for the eradication of those norms in which women where both physically and mentally less than men.