On Liberty and Tyranny

​John Stuart Mill was an English philosopher, political economist, Member of Parliament, and civil servant. In 1859 he published his influential book, On Liberty, as a philosophical essay on the relationship between authority and liberty, asserting that democratic ideals may result in the tyranny of the majority.

​Last week I found myself in a lovely conversation with Member Gordon Gould on the topic of The Tragedy of Commons as it relates to the homelessness problem in Boulder. Waxing philosophic on Mill's position, we agreed that while citizens are free to enjoy public spaces as long as they do not break the law, there is potential for tyranny if our compassion overrules our logic, preventing us from enforcing the laws that govern a healthy society.​

​As usual, Gordon listened patiently, and elegantly summed up Mill’s position by stating, unchecked, "democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner."

While trial and error may be a good way to advance science, it is not the best way to solve societal issues with deep long-term consequences. Instead, we must take on the arduous task of studying history, philosophy, religion, and works of great thinkers like John Stuart Mill to explore relevant historical solutions to our current problems.

Boulder’s post-pandemic future will include challenges like wealth disparity, housing shortage, over density, homelessness, equitable taxation, traffic, and environmental impacts, just to name a few.

Highland Institute does not believe history, philosophy, and religion are relics of the past that are no longer relevant in today’s science-and-technology-based society. We do not claim to have solutions to any of our current problems; instead, we strive to provide a safe place in which to address these and other daunting issues in good faith.