Chapter 1

The Project Gutenberg eBook of On Liberty This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: On Liberty Author: John Stuart Mill Release date: January 10, 2011 [eBook #34901] Most recently updated: August 12, 2019 Language: English Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34901 Credits: Produced by Curtis Weyant, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON LIBERTY *** Produced by Curtis Weyant, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net On Liberty. By John Stuart Mill. With an Introduction by W. L. Courtney, LL.D. The Walter Scott Publishing Co., Ltd. London and Felling-on-Tyne New York and Melbourne _To the beloved and deplored memory of her who was the inspirer, and in part the author, of all that is best in my writings--the friend and wife whose exalted sense of truth and right was my strongest incitement, and whose approbation was my chief reward--I dedicate this volume. Like all that I have written for many years, it belongs as much to her as to me; but the work as it stands has had, in a very insufficient degree, the inestimable advantage of her revision; some of the most important portions having been reserved for a more careful re-examination, which they are now never destined to receive. Were I but capable of interpreting to the world one-half the great thoughts and noble feelings which are buried in her grave, I should be the medium of a greater benefit to it than is ever likely to arise from anything that I can write, unprompted and unassisted by her all but unrivalled wisdom._