John Stuart Mill – An Unmarked Anniversary
This year is the 150th anniversary of the publication of the Origin of Species which has been widely celebrated. All rational people now accept that it is fundamentally correct, and it provides a bastion against which the common man can protect himself against the irrational.
This year, however, also marks the publication of another book which, in my view, is of similar stature in our defence of the freedom of the individual. This book, John Stuart Mills’ ‘On Liberty’, provides a philosophical justification of liberty and was integrally involved in the setting up of the party to which this site owes its allegience. It is the bedrock of modern liberalism. This book was of such importance to the founding fathers of the party that they made it the book of office of the party to be handed down from president to president to remind the party leadership of its roots.
The Liberal Democrat party is often thought of a party of the ‘protest vote’ or a party of local politics rather than a party of ideology. A quick trip to any political bookshop will show that Liberalism ranks with Socialism as arguably the most developed political theory.
The key to On Liberty is the harm principle articulated below
“… the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant.”
Those who come to this site may not recognise that it is the home of Classical Liberalism in the party. Since I doubt that the party will be marking this anniversary I believe it is up to us in the week of our launch to acknowlege the continuing relevance of this text.
May 14th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Since getting elected to Manchester City Council last May – that exact text has been used as part of my signature.
It holds my thinking together – I hope this principle guides us all.
May 14th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Whoops – meant to finish the sentence”… part of my signature in all my emails.” Makes more sense now!
May 14th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Good stuff, Lev. While this makes for a cracking signature line, I’m reminded of perhaps the worst one I’ve ever spotted, which reads (I kid you not, honestly):
“If the probability be called P; the injury, L; and the burden, B; liability depends upon whether B is less than L multiplied by P: i.e., whether B is less than PL.”
United States v. Carroll Towing (159 F.2d 169 [2d Cir. 1947]
May 14th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Of course it’s unlikely to celebrate it. Whatever prospective leaders may say about the importance of the book to them and notwithstanding the handing down of it from leader to leader or president to president or whatever it is, basically most of the party have all but forgotten it and the ideology it sets down.
Sadly.
May 14th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Jock I thought you preferred Hubert Spencer to JS Mill?
Though you’re right the party has forget the ideology Mill set out nor what genuine liberal principle is & that’s why I’m no longer a party member.
Anyways back in January I wrote predicting that there’d be an awful lot of coverage concerning Darwin & The Origins of The Species (published also in 1859) which of course it deserves but they’d be no or little mention of Mill’s On Liberty.
So far the BBC have proved me right lots of programs about Darwin & Evolution but nothing on Mill & liberalism.
I thought about suggesting a letter writing campaign to the BBC but it would be I Ziggy suggesting it so doubt anybody would take note.
You’d of thought the party would of organised some anniversary celebration but maybe that they haven’t is stating all that Jock has said.
May 14th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Oh here’s a link to an audio version http://librivox.org/on-liberty-by-john-stuart-mill/
May 14th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Well, you know, it isn’t completely unmarked – we’ve just marked it. Would be good if others marked it too.
I know for a fact that Mill’s definition of Liberalism is the uniting force for quite a number of liberal bloggers that are getting together around those ideas he articulated.
We’re going to be seeing a bit more if his writing soon. Fitting that it happens on an anniversary like this.
May 14th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
The 150th anniversary wasn’t forgotten in my little socialist corner of the internet. I’ve done three pieces so far looking at the essay from a Marxist standpoint. They are here, here, and here.
May 14th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
The February anniversary was claimed by the British Humanist Association, who sent out a briefing to MPs.
It was unfortunately both an appalling dull piece of typesetting – that would have failed to get through an initial sift of the post by most MP’s researchers or PAs, but because it was written in a drily academic manner with no copy-editing it also failed to convey key messages.
http://www.humanism.org.uk/news/view/240
As On Liberty have the distinction of being one of the few (the only British?) political tracts to sell out on first printing, I’d have thought the best thing would be to try and get media coverage in August during the so called silly season – by “eccentrically” commemorating the 150th anniversary of the second edition, and linking this to Mill’s championing of the right to individuality – too often regarded as eccentricity.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Its good to see that the anniversary has been noticed on some far flung corners of the web, but it would be fabulous if the original could at least get an airing at the conference in September. I guess that Ros has it in her bookshelf somewhere even if I am right in assuming that she hasn’t paid a great deal of attention to it.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Traditionally an original copy has been handed from one party president to the next
However I’m sorry Ed your deluded if you really think that the Lib Dems are going to start taking any great note of On Liberty.
May 16th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
[…] Joyce over on the shiny new Liberal Vision blog laments that, so far, On Liberty’s 150th Anniversary has gone unmarked. I think that’s just not good enough, although we do still have over 6 months to put it […]
November 20th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Hi there, – spotted your current website by accident when wandering around the internet this morning, and delighted that I did! I do like the design and different shades, but I have to point out that I’m having difficulties when it loads. I’m making use of iCab 3 browser for mac, and the footer wouldn’t line up well. i’m convinced I have applied a similar design on a customer’s online site, but the menu seems fine on mine. I imagine the error is with my browser & I’m assuming today’s the day to swap!