Mill's on Liberty (SCM Briefly) - Softcover

Daniel, David Mills

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0334040361 ISBN 13: 9780334040361

Publisher: SCM Press, 2006

Synopsis

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) wrote his most controversial work, "On Liberty" in 1859, the year in which Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" was also published. "On Liberty" contains a rational justification of the freedom of the individual in opposition to the claims of the state to impose unlimited control, and has become a classic of libertarian philosophy. Warning against the tyranny of the majority, this treatise argues that in the past the danger had been that monarchs held power at the expense of the common people and the struggle was one of gaining liberty by limiting such governmental power. But now that power has largely passed into the hands of the people at large through democratic forms of government, the danger is that the majority denies liberty to individuals, whether explicitly through laws...or more subtly through morals and public opinion.

About this title

Review:

'The new "Briefly" series by the SCM Press does exactly what it says: it briefly introduces...key philosophical texts...in a very accessible way without compromising the ideas involved through oversimplification.' -- R.E. News, Autumn 2006

'The painless way to become well read...a sure-footed guide to complex and weighty matters...Daniel shows himself to be a sure-footed guide, with an obvious gift for presenting complex ideas clearly and concisely...' -- Church Times, October 2007

'This series provides a very useful and student-friendly stepping stone between secondary and primary texts...the contextual matter is concise and accurate and, most important, it is written with clarity and in an engaging manner...I found the "Briefly" on Mill's "On Liberty" fascinating and...extremely enlightening...The greatest impact, identified by Daniel, is in its contemporary application...Particularly relevant examples discussed by Daniel include the debates on homosexuality, fox-hunting, drugs and alcohol abuse, and the inherent danger of the tyranny of the majority...Apart from the obvious student market, many general readers will welcome such useful introductions...' -- Journal of Education and Christian Belief, Spring 2007

'This two-part introduction to Thomas Aquinas' "Summa Theologica"...is well-designed for someone needing a "crash course" on the "Summa"...these two volumes admirably serve their purpose.' -- Journal of Religion and Theology, September 2007

From the Author:

Hello there. I am David Mills Daniel, creator, editor and principal author of the SCM 'Briefly' series.

The series is designed to enable students to acquire knowledge and understanding of key texts in Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Theology and Ethics. The books in the series are especially helpful to those following university and A-level courses in Philosophy, Ethics and Theology/Religious Studies in the UK (and similar courses in other parts of the world), but will also interest anyone looking for a short guide to the ideas of a particular philosopher or theologian.

Each 'Briefly' takes a piece of work by one philosopher or theologian and provides a detailed summary of the original text, which adheres closely to it, and contains direct quotations from it, enabling the reader to follow each development in the argument. Throughout the summary, there are page references to the original work, giving ready access to the primary text.

There is a concise chapter-by-chapter overview section, designed for quick reference to the detailed summary, and which is handy for revision.

The context section gives biographical information about the philosopher or theologian, discussion of the main ideas in the primary text, a bullet-pointed list of the main issues and suggestions for further reading.

There is an extensive glossary of terms.

About this edition

• Publisher: SCM Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0334040361
• ISBN 13: 9780334040361
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 92