On Liberty

First published in 1859, this essay argues that society may coerce an individual only to prevent harm to others, not to enforce custom, piety, or the majority's idea of a good life. Mill defends freedom of thought and discussion, including opinions that shock received belief, and he treats individuality as a public good rather than a private luxury. He examines the tyranny of prevailing opinion, the pressure of Christian respectability in Victorian England, and the limits of applying the harm principle to trade, family, and people not yet of age. It is a work of political philosophy, not a history of liberal institutions.

Bound in cloth, printed with a wrap-around colour design by the artist. Grey endleaves. Grey slipcase.