On Liberty
A celebration and exploration of aspects of the life, career and thought of John Stuart Mill
In 1859, the philosopher and leading liberal theorist of Victorian Britain, John Stuart Mill, published
his most important and enduring work – On Liberty. In this essay Mill set out the principle, still
acknowledged as universal and valid today, that only the threat of harm to others could justify
interfering with anyone’s liberty of action.
On Liberty has become the most revered of liberal texts. On 14 November 2009, the Liberal
Democrat History Group, the London School of Economics and the British Liberal Political Studies
Group are holding a one-day symposium to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of On
Liberty and to publicise the archive of papers left by Mill and his wife Harriet Taylor who, according
to Mill, was as much responsible for On Liberty as he was himself.
The event will be held from 9.30am – 5pm at the London School of Economics in Room 1.04, New
Academic Building, Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Speakers who have agreed to give papers include:
David Howarth, Liberal Democrat MP for Cambridge: The importance of J S Mill and On Liberty to
British thought and politics today
Dr Eugenio Biagini, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge: J S Mill and the Victorian Liberal Party
Dr Annabelle Lever, Institute of Science Ethics & Innovation, Manchester Law School: Mill and the
Secret Ballot
Dr Georgios Varouxakis, Queen Mary, University of London: Mill’s Vision of International Relations
Sue Donnelly, Archivist at the LSE Library: The Mill-Taylor Archives at the LSE (with optional visit to
see papers in the archive over the lunch break)
Dr Michael Levin, Emeritus Reader in Politics, Goldsmiths’ College, University of London: Mill and
the Threat to Civilization
Dr Alan Butt Philip, University of Bath and J S Mill Institute: Mill as a politician
The cost of the conference will be £10 to include refreshments at mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
To register please contact:
Archives Division, Library London School of Economics, 10 Portugal Street, London, WC2A 2HD
Tel: 020 7955 7221
Email: Document@lse.ac.uk
Advert for Mill Conference at LSE – v5: 2 August 2009
Page 1