John S Mill was a great political thinker and philosopher of 19th century Britain. He propagated the idea of the harm principle in his famous essay, On Liberty. According to Mill, the pursuit of self-protection is the most important area of an individuals life. He believed each and every person seeks to protect his/her liberty.
Mill introduced an important distinction between an individuals personal actions and his actions that affect his community life or society in general. Hence, if a persons self-regarding actions cause only a disturbance in the community then a person cannot be punished and one can only look upon it with social disapproval . An example would be smoking or consumption of intoxicating drinks.
However, if any harm is made which affects not only the individual but the society as a whole, then it can be termed as major harm. Hate campaigns are an example of major harm that can disrupt the peace and tranquillity of society. These actions influence the social, economic and political activities of the community as a whole. I such situations, J. S. Mill suggests harsh legal punishment.
