On Liberty

On Liberty is an essay by the English philosophers Harriet Taylor Mill and John Stuart Mill, published in 1859 under the latter's name. It applies their ethical system of utilitarianism to society and the state, proposing standards for the relationship between authority and liberty. Its harm principle holds that power may rightfully be used over a member of a civilized community against his will only to prevent harm to others. The essay stresses the importance of individuality and warns that democratic ideals may result in the tyranny of the majority. Greatly influential, it has remained in print since its first publication.