On Liberty
A seminal philosopher of the Victorian era, John Stuart Mill is best known for his development of utilitarianism. In this work, Mill develops his theory of how individuals’ thoughts and beliefs can be exercised in a democratic society. In chapter II, “Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion,” Mill gives a strong defense of the freedom of speech and opinion. It was his belief that a free society needed to allow all speech, including that which was false or unpopular, otherwise minority voices would be silenced. In Mill’s view, the only way for society to progress and for truth to be discovered is to allow all opinions and thoughts to be freely shared. The main limitation to speech that Mill proposes is in the prevention of harm to others, where a government authority would be right to prevent free opinions from becoming harmful actions.
John Stuart Mill (1806-1873).
On Liberty. London: John W. Parker and Son, MDCCCLIX.
Lehigh University Catalog Record: https://asa.lib.lehigh.edu/asa/Record/256260
A version of this text has been digitized and is available through the Internet Archive.