Audiobook · read by volunteers
On Liberty
John Stuart Mill (1806–1873)
Read by David Barnes, Carl Manchester, Mike Kauffmann, ML Cohen · 6 chapters · 5 h 21
About the book
How much power may society rightfully exercise over the individual? John Stuart Mill’s answer, published in 1859, is as simple to state as it is hard to apply: a person should be free to think, speak and act as he pleases, so long as he does not harm others. From this one principle Mill builds a defence of freedom of thought and discussion, of individuality and of the limits of authority. His arguments touch on censorship, social pressure, education and the weight of custom, and they remain at the centre of debates about government and society today. Clear, forceful and humane, On Liberty is one of the great texts of political philosophy. Mill dedicated the book to his late wife, Harriet Taylor Mill, whom he called the inspirer, and in part the author, of all that was best in his writings. Four voices share this reading of about five and a half hours.
Introduction
John Stuart Mill, who lived from 1806 to 1873, was one of the most influential English-language philosophers of the nineteenth century. On Liberty, published in 1859, sets out his conviction that individuals should be left entirely free to think, speak and act as they choose, so long as they do not harm others. Simple though it sounds, that position challenges our ideas about government and society, and it still bears on many questions we face today. The book is a key text of political philosophy and has stayed in print ever since. Alongside Utilitarianism and The Subjection of Women, it is among his best-known works.
The essay is arranged in five chapters, the first of them introductory. The first lays out the question and the principle. The second, which is the longest, defends the liberty of thought and discussion and argues that even false opinions are worth hearing. The third treats individuality as one of the elements of well-being, the fourth considers the limits to the authority of society over the individual, and the fifth turns to applications.
Mill writes in a direct, argumentative style, anticipating objections and answering them as he goes. Some of his examples belong to the Victorian world, but the underlying questions about free speech, conformity and the power of public opinion are as lively as ever.
The recording consists of six sections, with the second chapter split into two parts, and lasts about five and a half hours. It is read by four LibriVox volunteers. It is a demanding but rewarding listen, suited to anyone who wants to understand one of the foundations of modern liberal thought.
Public domain
John Stuart Mill died in 1873: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text