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john stuart mill

On Liberty

First published 1859 · the fourth edition (1869)
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contents

Dedication
To the beloved and deplored memory of her who was the inspirer, and in part the author, of all that is best in my writings—the friend and…
i
Introductory
The subject of this Essay is not the so-called Liberty of the Will, so unfortunately opposed to the misnamed doctrine of Philosophical…
ii
Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion
The time, it is to be hoped, is gone by, when any defence would be necessary of the ‘liberty of the press’ as one of the securities against…
iii
Of Individuality, as One of the Elements of Well-Being
Such being the reasons which make it imperative that human beings should be free to form opinions, and to express their opinions without…
iv
Of the Limits to the Authority of Society over the Individual
What, then, is the rightful limit to the sovereignty of the individual over himself? Where does the authority of society begin? How much of…
v
Applications
The principles asserted in these pages must be more generally admitted as the basis for discussion of details, before a consistent…