On Liberty, Utilitarianism and Other Essays'it is only the cultivation of individuality which produces, or can produce, well developed human beings' Mill's four essays, 'On Liberty', 'Utilitarianism', 'Considerations on Representative Government', and 'The Subjection of Women' examine the most central issues that face liberal democratic regimes - whether in the nineteenth century or the twenty-first. They have formed the basis for many of the political institutions of the West since the late nineteenth century, tackling as they do the appropriate grounds for protecting individual liberty, the basic principles of ethics, the benefits and the costs of representative institutions, and the central importance of gender equality in society. These essays are central to the liberal tradition, but their interpretation and how we should understand their connection with each other are both contentious. In their introduction Mark Philp and Frederick Rosen set the essays in the context of Mill's other works, and argue that his conviction in the importance of the development of human character in its full diversity provides the core to his liberalism and to any defensible account of the value of liberalism to the modern world. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. |
Contents
ix | |
Note on the Text | xlv |
Select Bibliography | xlvi |
A Chronology of John Stuart Mill | li |
ON LIBERTY | 1 |
UTILITARIANISM | 113 |
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Common terms and phrases
able action active admitted affairs allowed amount attempt authority become believe benefit better body called character common concerns conduct consider consideration constitution depends desire despotism direct doctrine duty effect election electors equal evil exercise exist experience fact feeling force freedom give given greater ground happiness human idea important improvement individual influence institutions interest justice kind knowledge least less liberty limits majority mankind means mental Mill Mill’s mind mode moral nature necessary never object obtain opinion Parliament particular person pleasure political popular position possess possible practical present principle progress question reason reference regard representative respect rule sentiments side social society sufficient suffrage superior supposed things thought tion truth universal unless utilitarian vote whole women