One of the major influences on modern American political philosophy, John Stuart Mill's On Liberty argues that society and government are too harsh on people's behavior. These rigid expectations, he argues, limit individualism and genius, both vital to the progress of humanity (62). To remedy this, Mill believes that as long as one's behavior does not pose a direct threat to another, it should not be restricted. While society may not approve of a member's actions, it should not attempt to interfere or use social methods to influence behavior such as embarrassment (77). Mill anticipates some criticisms by admitting that all actions affect others to some extent. In the example he gives in his book, a man may be prone to extravagant spending and thus be unable to provide for his family or pay off his debts. This man can be punished, although not for costs; rather, he should be punished for neglecting his family and financial obligations (79). Although Mill appears to have made many valid arguments, these are potentially quite problematic. Although there are many selfish actions seemingly ignored by Mill, perhaps the most important and problematic is that of suicide. At first glance, suicide seems to fit JS Mill's examples of non-binding behavior. He doesn't directly hurt another, especially compared to his sister, the murder. Furthermore, the problem many have with suicide has a moral or religious basis, which alone, by Mill's standards, is not enough to require intervention. But it is precisely this concept of direct harm and intervention that makes suicide a complication of Mill's model. In his book The Suicides, Emile Durkheim challenges John Stuart Mill's concept of autonomous behavior through... middle of paper... many other philosophers, excluding some important concepts from his arguments, ultimately rendering them incomplete and incorrect. Works Cited Chibbaro, Lou, Jr. "Spotlight on Bullying After Wave of Teen Suicides." Washington Lama. WashingtonBlade.com, October 8, 2010. Web. December 4, 2013. Donaldson James, Susan. “Kipp Rusty Walker kills himself on stage in Oregon.” ABC News. ABC News Network, 18 April 2013. Web. 03 December 2013. Durkheim, Émile. Suicide, a study in sociology:. Glencoe, IL: Free, 1951. Print.Greenfield, Rebecca. "What Happens to a Twitter Account That Becomes a Suicide Letter? - The Wire." The thread. TheWire.com, January 8, 2013. Web. December 04, 2013.Mill, John Stuart, and Elizabeth Rapaport. On Freedom. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 1978. Print.Smith, Catharine. “Man posts suicide note on Twitter.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, June 16, 2010. Web. December 3. 2013.