Publications List:
THE GROWING MIND |
Mill's On Liberty
Mill's On Liberty
Mill's thinking about freedom in civic and social life examines fundamental principles shared among conservative, liberal, and radical politicians. The life of true philosophy stands outside the political battles that are rampant in society and seeks the political wisdom that is necessary for a good life in any age. Mill's philosophical presentation and analysis of those principles stand alongside the reflections of Plato, Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
When the officials of any government seek to change the laws that regulate individual liberty or when rhetoricians seek to change public opinion about what individuals should or should not be allowed to say or do, Mill's On Liberty serves as an effective antidote to the poisons of excessive intrusion into the lives of individuals. The present edition is specifically designed to employ the dual nature of rhetoric — oral and written language — and to utilize electronic technology to open Mill's text to contemporary listeners as well as readers.
English, like all natural languages, changes over time. Some aspects of Mill's 19th century prose have shifted in meaning, leading to confusion and misunderstanding. His frequent use of long and indirect sentences distorts the clarity and logical precision of his ideas. The sexist language that was customary in his day violates one of Mill's most fundamental principles, developed so forcefully in The Subjection of Women, which he wrote in 1861. Our revision seeks to capture the spirit and meaning of Mill's philosophy while overcoming those difficulties. The text is unabridged. We have sought to render Mill's words in a form that brings a living presence to ideas that are vital for life itself.
Audio Samples:
Quote:
"If all of humanity minus one were of one opinion, and only one person held the contrary opinion, humanity would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than that person, with sufficient power, would be justified in silencing humanity. If an opinion were a personal possession of no value except to the owner, and if to be obstructed in the enjoyment of it were simply a private injury, it would make some difference whether the injury was inflicted only on a few people or on many. But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it robs the human race – posterity as well as the existing generation – those who dissent from the opinion even more than those who hold it."