John Stuart Mill on Liberty and ControlPrinceton University Press, 2001 M06 18 - 264 pages John Stuart Mill is one of the hallowed figures of the liberal tradition, revered for his defense of liberal principles and expansive personal liberty. By examining Mill's arguments in On Liberty in light of his other writings, however, Joseph Hamburger reveals a Mill very different from the "saint of rationalism" so central to liberal thought. He shows that Mill, far from being an advocate of a maximum degree of liberty, was an advocate of liberty and control--indeed a degree of control ultimately incompatible with liberal ideals. |
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... claimed by Mill, and while it might be argued that in his account of indi- viduality claims are made which are tantamount to the assertion of an inherent right, it will be shown that since he urged penalties for many kinds of self ...
Joseph Hamburger. kinds of self-expression, his claim on behalf of individuality was anything but absolute. Indeed, Mill's regime was so censorious, and the range of conduct that was discouraged and forbidden was so great, it must be ...
... claims to the principle of utility and at the same time the assertion that liberty was inherently valuable and therefore valuable independent of its utility. According to this traditional interpretation, espoused by Isaiah Berlin ...
... claiming to ground his argument on utilitarianism—and those who deny any contradiction. Isaiah Berlin is the most prominent spokesman for the first of these positions.6 In opposition to this view, a variety of attempts have been made to ...
... claims with more enduring significance?). And there are a few who disapprove of the libertarian, even licentious concep- tion of liberty that they find in his book. Most, however, whether they approve or disapprove, whether they welcome ...