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Inverse View
It is not the case that The introduction of a new category of legally cognizable harm—offense—marks a principled boundary crossing, not a minor refinement of Mill's framework.
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Reasons For
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Reason for
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1.
Mill himself acknowledged non-physical harms (damaged reputation, emotional distress), so offense fits within his expandable framework.
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2.
Boundary between offense and cognizable harm is gradual and contestable, not principled—similar to recognizing new torts historically.
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3.
Many legitimate legal harms (defamation, harassment) depend partly on subjective reception, so subjectivity alone doesn't exclude offense.
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Reasons Against
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Reason against
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1.
Mill's harm principle requires tangible injury to interests; offense is purely subjective feeling, fundamentally different in kind.
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2.
Legally recognizing offense necessitates state judgment about acceptable expression, abandoning Mill's neutrality on lifestyle choices.
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3.
Offense lacks the limiting principle harm possesses—potentially infinite people claim offense to infinite forms of expression.
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