Mill, John Stuart | "The final stage in the growth of Utilitarian doctrine."

The Passion of American Collectors: Property of Barbara and Ira Lipman

Mill, John Stuart

On Liberty. London: John W. Parker and Son, 1859

8vo (195 x 120 mm). One or two instances of staining or spotting, one or two pencil markings. Publisher’s purple cloth, covers paneled in blind, spine gilt-lettered, brown coated endpapers; some sunning, particularly to spine, some loss to head and tail of spine, adhesive remnants to front pastedown, spine slightly cocked. Housed in custom slipcase. 

First edition of Mill's landmark work — "The only freedom which deserves the name, is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it."

On Liberty outlines Mill's most significant contribution to social thought, namely that the "'greatest good' of the community is inseparable from the liberty of the individual […]'. Many of Mill’s ideas are now commonplaces of democracy. His arguments for freedom of every kind of thought or speech have never been improved on" (PMM 345).

PROVENANCE

Violet Stevenson (ownership signature to front free endpaper)

REFERENCE

PMM 345