John Stuart Mill publishes On Liberty
- When
- 1859
- Where
- London, United Kingdom
- Episodes
- 1
John Stuart Mill published On Liberty in 1859, applying utilitarian ethics to society and state. The essay, conceived in 1854 and finalized after Harriet Taylor Mill's death in 1858, established standards for authority and liberty. It formulated the Harm principle, asserting that power over individuals is justified only to prevent harm to others.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. On Liberty was written by Harriet Taylor Mill and John Stuart Mill, published under Mill's name in 1859. It applied their utilitarian ethical system to society and state, suggesting standards for the relationship between authority and liberty. The work addressed the nature and limits of power legitimately exercised by society over the individual.
Conception and Completion. According to Mill's autobiography, On Liberty was first conceived as a short essay in 1854. The final draft was nearly complete when Harriet died suddenly in 1858.
Principle of Liberty. Mill formulated the Harm principle, stating that the sole end for which mankind are warranted in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number is self-protection. Power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community against his will only to prevent harm to others.
People involved
- John Stuart Mill · Author
- Harriet Taylor Mill · Co-author
Sources
- On Liberty Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-02
- John Stuart Mill Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-03
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.