Tentative Answer: Exclusion from Prescription of Rights

2. Mill excludes ‘backward’ nations and children from his prescription of rights. Why?

Since children and those of “backward” societies are incapable of reasoning on the same level as others in society, it follows that they must be taken care of, which is to say that they do not possess the right of liberty. These populations are incapable of engaging in discussion on liberty by themselves, and it is only under the guidance of an educating tyrant that they may become able to engage in such discussions. While the right of liberty cannot be infringed upon by the majority, backward societies do not possess that right in the first place so it cannot be revoked by any prevailing social or political sentiments of the majority. With this, Smith is giving an out to societies and governments that discriminate against populations that do not fit into their mold of civilized peoples. This part of Smith’s argument seems to contradict his other defenses of alternative opinions and paths in life, though it is not unexpected given his privileged status within a major imperial power.