Read with me: On Liberty, Part Five

Welcome to Part Five of this exploration into John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty. We looked before at Chapter I, which introduced many of the key ideas and concepts of Mill’s theory, Chapter II, which argued that freedom of thought and discussion was essential to society, Chapter III, which argued that individuality was central to well-being, …

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Review: Andrew Doyle, Free Speech (2021)

Free speech is under threat. European governments are introducing ‘hate speech’ legislation to curb the spread of objectionable ideas. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are policing what is said online. Campaigners in the USA are calling for revisions to the First Amendment. Have we forgotten why freedom of speech is important? Andrew Doyle intervenes in the …

Read with me: On Liberty, Part Four

Welcome to Part Four of this exploration into John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty. We looked before at Chapter I, which introduced many of the key ideas and concepts of Mill’s theory, Chapter II, which argued that freedom of thought and discussion was essential to society, and Chapter III, which argued that individuality was central to …

Review: Sathnam Sanghera, Empireland (2021)

We may know well Britain’s impact on the world. We have all heard about how, given that it covered a quarter of the globe at its peak, the sun never set on the British Empire. Through empire, Britain spread its language, its customs, and its philosophies. It also spread fear, hatred, and death. While this …

Read with me: On Liberty, Part Three

Welcome to Part Three of this exploration of John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty. We looked before at Chapter I, which introduced many of the key ideas and concepts of Mill’s theory, and Chapter II, which argued that freedom of thought and discussion was essential to society. This chapter concerns Mill’s thoughts on the centrality of …

Review: Philip Stephens, Britain Alone (2021)

How has Britain been defined by its relationship with the United States and Europe since the Second World War? How did the Suez Crisis in 1956 presage Britain’s reassessment of its place in the world, and how did this assessment change in the lead up to the 2016 referendum? These are the questions that Philip …

Read with me: On Liberty, Part Two

In the last post in this read-along series, we looked at John Stuart Mill’s introduction to On Liberty. In his introduction, Mill laid out the framework for his argument (see Part One here). He introduced several important concepts, not least of which was the “harm principle”, and the need for the government to protect the …

Read with me: On Liberty, Part One

This is part one of our read-along of John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty. First published in 1859, On Liberty is the product of a bout of productive energy during a time when Mill feared his life was ending. Though this magnum opus has stood the test of time, it is a flawed and imperfect work. …

Review: Andrea Pitzer, Icebound (2021)

On the morning of the third day, July 29, they spotted an iceberg at least half a mile long moving through the channel. If the current nudged it sideways, it could close the strait entirely. […] The visible parts of the behemoth blocked their view, filling the sailors with awe as it approached. It pulled …

Review: William Quinn and John Turner, Boom and Bust (2020)

What causes financial bubbles? What pops them? These questions have plagued investors, politicians, and the public more generally for years. In recent memory, we have seen bubbles occur more and more frequently - and more severely, as our experience with the 2008 financial crisis has shown. Understanding why bubbles happen is therefore of paramount concern. …