On Liberty

The best treatise on Free Speech ever written!

Re-read”On Liberty”, for the 3rdtime. It is the greatest treatise on Free Speech ever written, published in 1859, but prescient for the politics of today.

If you've never read it, it delves into the suppression of speech by forces such as government and the tyranny of the majority (public opinion), to include the stifling of speech with the use of labels. Heresy & blasphemy were the dogmatic supression terms of the past, is ”X-phobia” the dogmatic term(s) of today? 🤔

Definitely worth reading!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Mostly Reasonable Dissertation

When we take into account John Stewart Mill's isolated upbringing, enforced by his father, it is not surprising that he would become the purveyor of the extraordinarily compartmentalized philosophy he shares in this volume. Though his logical conclusions are for the most part, agreeable to me; his tone is that of a man who is very self-possessed - "I know what's right, and good; so let's leave off any further discussion."

As is usually my experience with books he reads, Gildart Jackson was more than satisfactory in his reading of "On Liberty"!

A Great Thinkery

I truly enjoyed this essay. I think of liberty differently now. everyone should read it

Very insightful!

Very interesting and thought provoking. Highly recommend for thinkers and for those that cherish freedom!

Glad to find the audio book

I am so glad Gildart Jackson read this book. I picked this book up for a political since class and this narration made this essay enjoyable. I liked the ideas contained in it on liberty and when liberty should and shouldn't be permissible.

A Necessary Piece of Political Philosophy

Foundational to modern society, John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty" is an essential text for all free thinkers and lovers of liberty. As important today as in Mill's time, "On Liberty" is a remembrance of the principles of Western society that has allowed us to flourish in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I recommend this essay to everyone.

Wonderfully read

A clear, understated reading of an extremely important book. Thoroughly enjoyable and happily quite concise.

Impeccable

In a style very much similar to Adam Smith, Mill is perspicuous in getting a point across in the most elegant manner. The practicalities dealt with in this work is ahead of its time; indeed his doctrine that a state should be a hub of knowledge with the sole purpose of disseminating that knowledge to the masses is a curious precursor to the Internet and other social cyber networks. I recommend it.

Well-read and AMAZING thinking

Wow! Topical and fresh despite having been written 150 years ago. It's terrific and grows in importance through the explosive last chapter.

Timeless and compelling topic.

Overall, the subject matter was very interesting and informative. The narration, was distracting. The producer chose a reader for the book with a very monotone and strong English accent.

I understand the time and place of the original author. Perhaps, that led to the choice of the narrator. Unfortunately, it was difficult to stay engaged in the book. If the narrator used more diverse intonations and conveyed more emotion, I would have found it easier to stay interested as I listened.