Protection is also needed against the tyranny of prevailing opinion, which seeks to suppress dissent and enforce conformity. Mill said individual freedom needed protection from the government and from social controlĪccording to Mill, protection against the tyranny of the government magistrate is not enough to ensure individual freedom. On Liberty was thus an inspiration for future First Amendment theory. The importance of On Liberty resides in a series of powerful arguments defending the free flow of ideas in a marketplace of ideas, and in the belief that individuals can best make their lifestyle choices, free from government intervention. The 1859 book On Liberty by British philosopher John Stuart Mill presents one of the most influential arguments ever formulated in favor of free speech and individual freedom over censorship and paternalism.

(Image circa 1870 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain) The 1859 book On Liberty by British philosopher John Stuart Mill (pictured here) presents one of the most influential arguments ever formulated in favor of free speech and individual freedom over censorship and paternalism.

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