Chapter5。
Applications。
THEPRINCIPLESassertedinthesepagesmustbemoregenerallyadmittedasthebasisfordiscussionofdetails，beforeaconsistentapplicationofthemtoallthevariousdepartmentsofgovernmentandmoralscanbeattemptedwithanyprospectofadvantage。ThefewobservationsIproposetomakeonquestionsofdetailaredesignedtoillustratetheprinciples，ratherthantofollowthemouttotheirconsequences。Ioffer，notsomuchapplications，asspecimensofapplication;whichmayservetobringintogreaterclearnessthemeaningandlimitsofthetwomaximswhichtogetherformtheentiredoctrineofthisEssay，andtoassistthejudgmentinholdingthebalancebetweenthem，inthecaseswhereitappearsdoubtfulwhichofthemisapplicabletothecase。
Themaximsare，first，thattheindividualisnotaccountabletosocietyforhisactions，insofarastheseconcerntheinterestsofnopersonbuthimself。Advice，instruction，persuasion，andavoidancebyotherpeopleifthoughtnecessarybythemfortheirowngood，aretheonlymeasuresbywhichsocietycanjustifiablyexpressitsdislikeordisapprobationofhisconduct。Secondly，thatforsuchactionsasareprejudicialtotheinterestsofothers，theindividualisaccountable，andmaybesubjectedeithertosocialortolegalpunishment，ifsocietyisofopinionthattheoneortheotherisrequisiteforitsprotection。
Inthefirstplace，itmustbynomeansbesupposed，becausedamage，orprobabilityofdamage，totheinterestsofothers，canalonejustifytheinterferenceofsociety，thatthereforeitalwaysdoesjustifysuchinterference。Inmanycases，anindividual，inpursuingalegitimateobject，necessarilyandthereforelegitimatelycausespainorlosstoothers，orinterceptsagoodwhichtheyhadareasonablehopeofobtaining。Suchoppositionsofinterestbetweenindividualsoftenarisefrombadsocialinstitutions，butareunavoidablewhilethoseinstitutionslast;andsomewouldbeunavoidableunderanyinstitutions。Whoeversucceedsinanovercrowdedprofession，orinacompetitiveexamination;whoeverispreferredtoanotherinanycontestforanobjectwhichbothdesire，reapsbenefitfromthelossofothers，fromtheirwastedexertionandtheirdisappointment。Butitis，bycommonadmission，betterforthegeneralinterestofmankind，thatpersonsshouldpursuetheirobjectsundeterredbythissortofconsequences。Inotherwords，societyadmitsnoright，eitherlegalormoral，inthedisappointedcompetitorstoimmunityfromthiskindofsuffering;andfeelscalledontointerfere，onlywhenmeansofsuccesshavebeenemployedwhichitiscontrarytothegeneralinteresttopermit—namely，fraudortreachery，andforce。