John Stuart Mill on Tyranny and Liberty

The United States was founded on the importance of civil liberties—protections for the individual against the control of others, whether those are other people or the government. Freedom for each person is a cornerstone of Western society. John Stuart Mill’s thoughts on liberty and the concept of freedom are among the most important frameworks on which we’ve built so much of modern society; our very ideas of limited government and personal freedom are rooted in the writings of this great political philosopher.

John Stuart Mill on Liberty is a collection of some of the most important of his statements on the ideas of liberty and freedom. This book showcases his firm belief that each person should have the right to live as he or she wants to, so long as it does not harm anyone else. Much of what we now take for granted or still fight to maintain or advance, such as freedom of speech, the abolition of slavery, and the rights of women, are things Mill argued for. As you read his passionate entreaties for liberty, you’ll be amazed at how relevant and important they remain today.

“In this age, the mere example of non-conformity, the mere refusal to bend the knee to custom, is itself a service.” —John Stuart Mill