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On Liberty
8.5John Stuart Mill
Mill's 1859 treatise gave liberalism its core argument — the harm principle, and the claim that free speech and free thought are the only reliable engines of human progress.
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ISBN 9781775410652Public-domain editions also available free — see below.
Summary & Critical Assessment (Score: 8.5/10)
On Liberty is a foundational text of modern liberalism, presenting the most influential articulation of the harm principle — the idea that the sole legitimate ground for restricting individual freedom is the prevention of harm to others. John Stuart Mill mounted a powerful defense of freedom of speech, thought, and individuality against the twin threats of governmental tyranny and the tyranny of the majority, arguments that remain central to political and legal debate today.
Brought out in 1859 during the Victorian era, On Liberty addressed the tension between individual liberty and social conformity with a clarity and force that has shaped liberal democratic thought ever since. Mill's arguments have shaped First Amendment jurisprudence in the United States and remain core reading in political science and law programs around the world.
England, 1859
Darwin publishes Origin of Species, overturning humanity's self-understanding. Mill publishes On Liberty, defining modern liberalism. The first oil well is drilled. Italy unifies. The sectional crisis that will produce the Civil War has reached the breaking point.
Awards & Adaptations
Foundation of liberalism. Core in political science/law.
Recommended Edition
First ed. (1859)
