On Liberty Themes

John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty is one of the most important works of 19th-century Western political philosophy. Written less than a century after the American and French Revolutions—both of which sent shockwaves through Western civilization and inspired numerous political essays, pamphlets, and articles—On Liberty is a powerful argument in favor of individual liberty over governmental power. In particular, Mill explores the importance of “Civil, or Social Liberty” and “the nature and limits of…

One of John Stuart Mill’s most powerful arguments in his popular essay On Liberty is that individuality must be protected and nurtured if a nation is to be successful and thrive. Although a nation’s individual men and women are bound together by being members of the same society, it is important that they also know the importance of individuality—not just for their own personal happiness, but for the success of the entire community. In…

Culturally speaking, morality and the formation of new ideas are more valuable to a society than things like money or gold—morality helps guide humankind’s behavior and new ideas are necessary to progress on both the personal and national levels. However, as John Stuart Mill explains in On Liberty, there are always those who oppose change and thus new ideas and progress. Those in power—for example, the upper classes (using social influence) and political elites…