Presents British philosopher John Stuart Mill's 1859 work in which he defends the individual's right to think and act for his or herself and calls for a society whose members contribute to the creation of the greatest happiness for the greatest number.
To what extent forms of government are a matter of choice -- the criterion of a good form of government -- that the ideally best form of government is representative government -- under what social conditions representative government is inapplicable -- of the proper functions of representative bodies -- of the infirmities and dangers to which representative government is liable -- of true and false democracy; representation of all, and representation of the majority only -- of the extension of the suffrage -- should there be two stages of election -- of the mode of voting -- of the duration of parliaments -- ought pledges to be required from Members of Parliament -- of a second chamber -- of the executive in a representative government -- of local representative bodies -- of nationality, as connected with representative government -- of federal representative governments -- of the government of dependencies by a free state.
Of the liberty of thought and discussion -- on individuality, as one of the elements of well being -- of the limits to the authority of society over the individual.
Asserts that women should be equal to men in terms of "personal freedom" and states that the subordination of one sex to another is "now one of the chief hindrances to human improvement.".
Contains scholar John Stuart Mill's 1863 essay in which he discusses utilitarianism, a moral theory based on the pleasure principle, analyzing objections to the principle of utility, and offering his own interpretation.
