Should the government only restrict an individual’s...

In a democratic society, it is generally considered the Governments role to promote morality and justice within its citizens and seek to restrict supposedly immoral and unjust acts. Thus if an act is to be considered immoral, it seems obvious to suggest that the government is justified in restricting it regardless of whether it is harmful to others. However, since everybody has a different understanding of morality and freedom, no Government could legitimately restrict an act on the basis of it being immoral. Thus it seems more plausible to suggest that the Government should only restrict actions which everybody can agree should be restricted. However its not clear where the line should be drawn or how a consensus on the issue could be†¦show more content†¦While Mill is clear that offence is not sufficient to be considered harm, he does seek to ban some things which may merely be offensive such as public indecency. He doesnt give explicit examples in this instance, merely th at there are some things which are acceptable in private, but when performed in public go against the general concept of good manners. While this notion may be agreeable to some, its difficult to justify given Mills other beliefs surrounding harm. There are many acts which may be accepted in public by some and not others, for many there is little wrong with homosexuality being exhibited in public, but for others even the mere thought of it being practised in private causes them great distress. Although its not obvious where the line should be drawn in terms of public indecency, it seems obvious that everybody has a limit as highlighted by Joel Feinberg (offence to others). Feinberg used a thought experiment concerning a ride on a bus in which the people around you begin to perform slowly more intolerable acts beginning with mere horrible smells and concluding with sexual acts being performed on an animal. 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