Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

This book is absolutely fantastic. I do not say this because I agree with everything the author says. Many of his opinions are outdated and deserve to be outdated. But many of his opinions and the arguments he deploys in support of those opinions are as timely now as ever. For example, if you have taken an introductory course in political philosophy and felt that the professor's view of the subject was a little one-sided and overly modern then read this book. Here you'll find some trenchant criticisms of democracy and even freedom (freedom defined in a certain way) that you just won't have heard your professor mention. That is not to say that democracy and freedom are bad; I enjoy democracy and freedom. But after reading this book you'll feel like you understand the imperfections of our current political arrangements and why these arrangements still leave plenty of political problems unsolved. I could go on and on about the details of this book and why it is so enjoyable, but I'll simply advise you to read it for yourself. You won't agree with it completely, that I guarantee, but you'll be a little bit wiser.

In a single book, Stephen unmasks the assumptions of our modern political structures and ideas. Writing in the nineteenth century, he enables us to step outside our own political system and reassess it with open eyes. Powerfully and beautifully written!

Very interesting book. Im sure there are far better books that really address the issue in the contemporary light, but this is a fantastic book to read if you want a perspective of the debate regarding these issues in the time of John Stuart Mill (this a book directly addressing Mill's books).

Great read for High School kids

John Stuart Mill's arguments for liberalism have a specious charm, but a rotten core of paradox, naivety and absurdity, which Sir James Stephen exposes. This is not to say Stephen has a perfect alternative to offer, or no errors of his own -- just that there are some valuable insights here.

The idea of someone refuting J.S. Mill's ideas by pointing out their flaws during Victorian times was a surprize. It has certainly proven to be an accurate judgment of Liberalism in our time.

Written as a riposte to J S Mill (whom I have little sympathy with) I nevertheless and despite some very telling passages am not persuaded by the arguments he chooses. Like Mill he shows himself clueless as to female sexuality. His responses to his critics in both footnotes and in the long preface to the second edition seem to add little or perhaps merely restate his point. Silence might have been better. The volume from Liberty Press is both rather handsome and not expensive.