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On Liberty

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On Liberty

By: John Stuart Mill
Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
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About this listen

First published in 1859, John Stuart Mill's On Liberty is an exhaustive exploration of social and civic liberty, its limits, and its consequences. Mill's work is a classic of political liberalism that contains a rational justification of the freedom of the individual in opposition to the claims of the state. Drawing upon the empiricism of John Locke, George Berkeley, and David Hume, and the utilitarianism of Jeremy Bentham, On Liberty defends the representative democracy as the culmination of society's progression from lower to higher stages, even as it recognizes one of the unique dangers of this type of government - namely, the "tyranny of the majority".

Central to Mill's ideology is the harm principle - the idea that individual liberties should only be curtailed when they harm or interfere with the ability of others to exercise their own liberties. Unlike other liberal theorists, Mill did not rely upon theories of abstract rights to support his ideology, but rather grounded his philosophy in ideas of utility.

As relevant to modern audiences as it was to Mill's Victorian readership, On Liberty is an enduring classic of political thought.

Public Domain (P)2011 Tantor Americas Philosophy Political Science Politics & Government Freedom Liberalism
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JSM strived for excellence and this book proves it. He was against female subjugation, slavery, corruption and abuses of power.

a politician ahead if his time

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This is one of the finest pieces of writing I have ever had the pleasure of reading/ listening too.

Simply beautiful

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The consideration of liberty is lost on so called modern day western democracies. They pass laws without any prudence or due diligence. Our elected officials should be pressed to read or listen to this book.

One of my favourite books.

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