Prompt: In On Liberty, John Stuart Mill argues against the despotism of “Custom,” while arguing in favor of
toleration and diversity. Are these arguments consistent with one another or contradictory? If you
think they are consistent, why so? If not, why are they contradictory? To develop your response,
make use of all the chapters from the book we have covered in class, paying close attention to Mill’s
understanding of liberty, the “harm principle” and its applications, and the idea of individuality.
Instructions:
Essay structure:
• Your essay should begin with an introduction that lays out your argument and provides a
roadmap for how you will address the prompt.
• Your essay should end with a conclusion that recapitulates the arguments made in the
previous pages and the broad implication(s) of those arguments.
• Address each part of the prompt with equal weight and importance.
• Use a consistent citation system for quotes from texts. Secondary sources are not required.
Essay content:
• Make an argument rather than summarize relevant portions of the text. A consistent and
coherent argument, backed up by evidence from the text(s), will often distinguish a good
essay from an average essay.
• Consider the strongest counterarguments to your position. Evaluating strong
counterarguments fairly and reinforcing the strength of your own arguments will often
distinguish an excellent essay from a good essay.
• Get to your point as quickly as possible. Fitting an introduction, conclusion, argument, and
counterargument within 1500 words, while giving equal weight to all parts of the prompt, is
a difficult exercise. It will require careful outlining and writing more than one draft.
• Avoid extraneous content. Don’t use background information that’s not directly relevant to
your argument. Don’t summarize parts of the text that are not essential. Block quotes take
up a lot of space, try to avoid them.
• Your essay should begin with an introduction that lays out your argument and provides a
roadmap for how you will address the prompt.
• Your essay should end with a conclusion that recapitulates the arguments made in the
previous pages and the broad implication(s) of those arguments.
• Address each part of the prompt with equal weight and importance.
• Use a consistent citation system for quotes from texts. Secondary sources are not required.
Essay content:
• Make an argument rather than summarize relevant portions of the text. A consistent and
coherent argument, backed up by evidence from the text(s), will often distinguish a good
essay from an average essay.
• Consider the strongest counterarguments to your position. Evaluating strong
counterarguments fairly and reinforcing the strength of your own arguments will often
distinguish an excellent essay from a good essay.
• Get to your point as quickly as possible. Fitting an introduction, conclusion, argument, and
counterargument within 1500 words, while giving equal weight to all parts of the prompt, is
a difficult exercise. It will require careful outlining and writing more than one draft.
• Avoid extraneous content. Don’t use background information that’s not directly relevant to
your argument. Don’t summarize parts of the text that are not essential. Block quotes take
up a lot of space, try to avoid them.