J.S. Mill's On liberty in focus

Abstract

This volume brings together in a convenient form J.S.Mill’s On Liberty and a selection of important essays by a number of eminent Mill scholars, including Isaiah Berlin, Alan Ryan, John Rees, C.L.Ten and Richard Wollheim. As well as providing authoritative commentary upon On Liberty, the essays also reflect a broader debate about the philosophical foundations of Mill’s liberalism, particularly the question of the connection between Mill’s professed utilitarianism and his commitment to individual liberty. In a substantial introduction the editors survey the debate and conclude that the outcome has profound and disturbing implications, both for our understanding of Mill’s classic defence of individual freedom and more generally for the style of liberal argument with which Mill is typically identified.