Weekly Insights for Thinkers

Science  Philosophy  Critical Thinking  History  Politics RW  AI  Physics  •  Evolution  Astronomy 30 Phil Book More…
Science  Phil  Cr. Think  Hist 

STORY

Harm Principle

By Michael Alan Prestwood

Sun 9 Jun 2024
Published 2 years ago.
Updated 2 years ago.
Share :
The Harm Principle: on left, solitary acts; on right, group acts.

Harm Principle

Cause no harm.
In "On Liberty," pub. 1859.

30 Phil, Chapter 29, Mill, Touchstone 74: Harm Principle.

You’re free to do what you want, as long as you don’t harm others. It delineates between self-regarding and other-regarding actions as a basis for when societal intervention is justified. Self-regarding actions are those that primarily affect the individual who undertakes them. Other-regarding actions have broader social consequences, impacting others. 

— map / TST —

Michael Alan Prestwood
Author & Natural Philosopher
Prestwood writes on science-first philosophy, with particular attention to the convergence of disciplines. Drawing on his TST Framework, his work emphasizes rational inquiry grounded in empirical observation while engaging questions at the edges of established knowledge. With TouchstoneTruth positioned as a living touchstone, this work aims to contribute reliable, evolving analysis in an emerging AI era where the credibility of information is increasingly contested.
TST Weekly Column
January 21, 2026
This Week:
»Edition Archive
The column…
The Day the Universe Stopped Revolving Around Us
WWB Research….
1. Story of the Week
Nicolas Copernicus
2. Quote of the Week
“The movement of the planets agrees best with actual observations.”
3. Science FAQ »
Did Copernicus prove that Earth moves around the Sun?
4. Philosophy FAQ »
Did Copernicus remove humanity from the center of the universe?
5. Critical Thinking FAQ »
Why do intelligent people defend bad ideas?
6. History FAQ!
Was Copernicus famous during his life?
Bonus Deep-Dive Article
The Universe Before the Telescope
Scroll to Top