Detail from ‘The Anti-Slavery Society Convention, 1840’ by Benjamin Haydon (1786–1846), showing Henry Beckford, emancipated slave and abolitionist, among the delegates gathered in Exeter Hall, London, on June 12th–23rd, 1840. The meeting is being addressed by Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846), a prime mover in the campaign to end slavery throughout the British Empire, crowned with success seven years earlier. “A liberated slave, now a delegate,” wrote Haydon later “is looking up to Clarkson with deep interest ... this is the point of interest in the picture, and illustrative of the object in painting it, the African sitting by the intellectual European, in equality and intelligence”. Freedom to associate with like-minded people was the third of Mill’s principles of liberty.
THIRDLY, from this liberty of each individual, follows the liberty, within the same limits, of combination among individuals; freedom to unite, for any purpose not involving harm to others: the persons combining being supposed to be of full age, and not forced or deceived.
No society in which these liberties are not, on the whole, respected, is free, whatever may be its form of government and none is completely free in which they do not exist absolute and unqualified. The only freedom which deserves the name, is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it. Each is the proper guardian of his own health, whether bodily, or mental or spiritual. Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.*
From ‘On Liberty’ (1858) by John Stuart Mill (1806-1873).
* “Talk nonsense,” Razumihin bursts out to Pulcheria Alexandrovna in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment (1866), “but talk your own nonsense, and I’ll kiss you for it. To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s. In the first case you are a man, in the second you’re no better than a bird.”
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Précis
Mill’s third liberty was liberty of association, the freedom to mix (or not) with whomsoever we wish. No state in which these three liberties are denied or curtailed is truly free, said Mill, and our common life benefits far more by agreeing to live and let live than by letting one caste mould the rest in their own image. (59 / 60 words)
Mill’s third liberty was liberty of association, the freedom to mix (or not) with whomsoever we wish. No state in which these three liberties are denied or curtailed is truly free, said Mill, and our common life benefits far more by agreeing to live and let live than by letting one caste mould the rest in their own image.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: despite, just, must, ought, unless, until, whether, who.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Belong. Frame. Within.
2 Importance. Suffering. Third.
3 Limit. Our. Proper.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Best. 2 Required. 3 Harmless. 4 Full. 5 Comprehensive. 6 Purposeful. 7 Longest. 8 Good. 9 Scientific.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Although.
However.
2.
Among.
Between.
3.
Chase.
Pursue.
4.
Compose.
Comprise.
5.
Foolish.
Foolhardy.
6.
Intend.
Purpose.
7.
Join.
Unite.
8.
Mistaken.
Wrong.
9.
Sole.
Only.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
clns (6+1)
clans. cleans. cleanse. clones. colonies. colons.
colonise.
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