Continuum's Reader's Guides are clear, concise and accessible introductions to classic works of philosophy. Each book explores the major themes, historical and philosophical context and key passages of a major philosophical text, guiding the reader toward a thorough understanding of often demanding material. Ideal for undergraduate students, the guides provide an essential resource for anyone who needs to get to grips with a philosophical text. First published in 1859, John Stuart Mill's On Liberty has exerted an enormous influence on philosophical and political thought ever since. Mill, also famous for his writings on utilitarianism, argues that individual liberty is of paramount importance and that any infringements of it must be kept to an absolute minimum. Mill himself described his brief but brilliant book as asserting 'one very simple principle ...that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering in the liberty of any of their number, is self-protection.'
Of course, drawing out the implications of this principle has proved to be anything but simple, and the various interpretations of Mill's doctrine have spawned countless debates and mountains of secondary literature. Numerous moral and political theorists have drawn on Mill's work, including Berlin, Rawls and Raz, and his ideas remain as relevant as ever today.
- ISBN10 0826486487
- ISBN13 9780826486486
- Publish Date 23 April 2007 (first published 1 January 2007)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- Imprint Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 176
- Language English