Problem of free market in the liberalism of John Stuart Mill

Abstract

The name of John Stuart Mill is inseparably associated with the ideology and doctrine of liberalism. Mill was a great proponent of freedom of thought and speech, which is evidenced by quotations from his works included in this paper. In his reflections on the position of an individual within a state he also dealt with the issue of economic liberalism and his laissez-faire views are willingly quoted by admirers of free market until now.

J.S. Mill did not advocate free market in its “pure” form because he accepted inter alia state school system. Therefore, the fundamental issue which appears in his laissez-faire philosophy is admission of elements of state interventionism into the area reserved (by many liberals in the past and nowadays) for a free market. The basic issue discussed in this paper is an attempt to answer the question since when and if at all negation of free market in J.S. Mill’s philosophy is to be found? Is any state interventionism a negation of a free market?