On Liberty

John Stuart Mill

Dec 2013 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this eBook

On Liberty is an impassioned application of author John Stuart Mill’s philosophical theory of utilitarianism, which argues that the highest state of being is that which is most useful in maximizing happiness and diminishing suffering. In On Liberty, Mill famously stresses the importance of individuality and the need to limit the power of governments over their people.

The philosophies of John Stuart Mill were well-received in the author’s lifetime during the mid-nineteenth century, and On Liberty is still an essential treatise in the fields of philosophy and political science.

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About the author

John Stuart Mill was an English philosopher, politician and economist most famous for his contributions to the theory of utilitarianism. The author of numerous influential political treatises, Mill’s writings on liberty, freedom of speech, democracy and economics have helped to form the foundation of modern liberal thought. His 1859 work, On Liberty, is particularly noteworthy for helping to address the nature and limits of the power of the state over the individual. Mills has become one of the most influential figures in nineteenth-century philosophy, and his writings are still widely studied and analyzed by scholars. Mills died in 1873 at the age of 66.