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MILL, John Stuart. On Liberty. London: John W. Parker, 1859.

Price: US$5847.96 + shipping

Description: First edition. 8vo. 207, (1), (8) pp. Publisher's ribbed brown cloth, the upper part and lower extremity of the spine missing and skilfully restored to style, ownership inscription of William Rendle dated 1864 to the head of the title page with his book label to the front pastedown giving his address as "33 Bridge House Place, Newington Causeway, S.E.", some pencilled marginalia at intervals throughout, the recto of the rear free endpaper more extensively annotated in pencil. Mill's essay on the individual's relation with society and authority and the rules that he thought should govern those interactions. It has gone on to be viewed "as the kernel of his social philosophy" (ODNB) and remains hugely influential to this day. William Rendle (1811-93) was born in Cornwall but was brought to live in south London with his family at the age of 6. He trained at Guy's Hospital and another teaching school close by and went on to practise in this general area of London for much of his long career, including serving as the chief medical officer for the parish of St. George the Martyr, Southwark. He was also a keen historian and extensively researched and wrote on the history of the borough.

Seller: Bow Windows Bookshop (ABA, ILAB), Lewes, United Kingdom

MILL, John Stuart.. On Liberty.. London: John W. Parker and Son, 1859, 1859.

Price: US$8447.05 + shipping

Description: First edition of the greatest manifesto of liberty and individualism, advocating the complete freedom of the individual save where necessarily restricted to prevent harm and establishing the personal rights of the individual which neither government nor a democratic majority can overrule. On Liberty "has been viewed by posterity as the kernel of [Mill's] social philosophy" (ODNB). "Many of Mill's ideas are now the commonplaces of democracy. His arguments for freedom of every kind of thought and speech have never been improved on. He was the first to recognize the tendency of a democratically elected majority to tyrannize over a minority" (PMM). Hazlitt, The Free Man's Library, p. 116; MacMinn, Hainds & McCrimmon, p. 92; Printing and the Mind of Man 345. Octavo (183 x 114 mm). Contemporary marbled boards with cloth corners, recently rebacked in green morocco with spine lettered in gilt, brown speckled edges. Bound without publisher's advertisements at rear. Slight discolouration in title page gutter, contents a little toned with sporadic very light soiling. A very good copy.

Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom

Mill, John Stuart. On Liberty. John W. Parker and Son, London, 1859.

Price: US$8500.00 + shipping

Condition: Very Good

Description: First edition, first printing. Bound in publisher's cloth, skillfully rebacked preserving much of the original spine, corners consolidated. Slight lean to binding. Fading and rubbing to cloth, contemporary owner name and date to title page, small area of browning to page 32-33 where a clipping was formerlay laid in. Very Good. An exposition of classical liberalism often cited for its defense of individual freedom against the tyranny of the majority.

Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.

Mill, John Stuart. On Liberty. John W. Parker, London, 1859.

Price: US$8749.83 + shipping

Condition: Very Good

Description: Bound elegantly without the publisher’s ads in the rear in half crimson leather and marbled boards by Kerr & Richardson in Glasgow. First Edition. The most important book on freedom of expression in the English language. PPM 345: “His arguments for freedom of every kind of thought or speech have never been improved on. He was the first to recognize the tendency of a democratically elected majority to tyrannize over a minority.” Previous owners’ names, one in pencil and one in ink, Very Good.

Seller: Pride and Prejudice-Books, Ballston Lake, NY, U.S.A.

Mill John Stuart. ON LIBERTY. London John W. Parker and Son 1859, 1859.

Price: US$9350.00 + shipping

Description: First edition. 8vo, publisher's original brown ribbed cloth with russet endpapers, the boards paneled in blind, the spine panel with two paper labels lettered in manuscript. With the Baronial engraved bookplate of Thomas Ashton of Hyde, British philanthropist, politician, and peer. 207, [1] colophon, 16 ads. pp. A fine and bright copy internally, the text especially fresh, a few pencil notations of interest but easily removed if desired, the boards are only lightly age mellowed and with a bit of mottling, unfaded and with little wear, the spine with loss to the cloth at both tips. FIRST EDITION OF THE GREAT TEXT ON LIBERTY, one of the scarcest Mill first editions and the one which remains his most widely read book. It is also the work Mill himself thought most likely to be of enduring value. ON LIBERTY represents the final stage in the growth of Utilitarian doctrine, and its central point is one which had escaped both Mill's father and Jeremy Bentham: that the 'greatest good' of the community is inseparable from the liberty of the individual. Hitherto, liberty had always been considered relative, in relation to tyranny or oppression; Mill extended tyranny to include a custom-ridden majority, and declared that 'the sole end for which mankind is justified in interfering with liberty of action is self-protection.' Many of Mill's ideas are now the commonplaces of democracy. His arguments for freedom of every kind of thought or speech have never been improved on. He was the first to recognize the tendency of a democratically elected majority to tyrannize over a minority, and his warning against it has a contemporary ring: 'We can never be sure that the opinion we are endeavouring to stifle is a false opinion; and, if we were sure, stifling it would be an evil still.' (PMM).

Seller: Buddenbrooks, Inc., Newburyport, MA, U.S.A.

Mill, John Stuart. On Liberty (First English Edition, 1859). John W. Parker and Son, West Strand M.DCCC.LIX. (1859), London, 1859.

Price: US$9500.00 + shipping

Description: Scarce First Edition in the complete original binding. Bound in the publisher’vertically ribbed brown cloth with blind stamped rectangles decorating the edges of the front and rear boards. With bright gilt stamping on the spine: "On/ Liberty./ J.S. Mill./ John W. Parker". Heavy chipping and wear with some loss to the top and bottom of the spine ends. Light rubbing, wear along the spine edges. Some discoloration along 1" of the front and rear edges of the boards. Corners bumped. Internally very clean and tight. With crisp terra-cotta endpapers. Printed on heavy stock, the whiteness of which sings with vintage crispness. Some pages are unopened. Apparently, this volume was never read. With the 16-page pamphlet/catalogue of "Standard Books" published by John W. Parker and Son bound in at the end of the book. The catalogue is printed in a smaller format than the book and sits nestled quite unobtrusively between the last page of the text and the rear endpaper. A pleasant volume glowing with the patina of time. A scarce first edition in internally splendid condition of Mill’s classic work on Utilitarianism and democratic principles. On Liberty is a philosophical essay by the English philosopher John Stuart Mill. Published in 1859, it applies Mill's ethical system of utilitarianism to society and state. Mill suggests standards for the relationship between authority and liberty. He emphasizes the importance of individuality, which he considers prerequisite to the higher pleasures—the summum bonum of utilitarianism. Furthermore, Mill asserts that democratic ideals may result in the tyranny of the majority. Among the standards proposed are Mill's three basic liberties of individuals, his three legitimate objections to government intervention, and his two maxims regarding the relationship of the individual to society. On Liberty was a greatly influential and well-received work. Some classical liberals and libertarians have criticized it for its apparent discontinuity with Utilitarianism, and vagueness in defining the arena within which individuals can contest government infringements on their personal freedom of action.[3] The ideas presented in On Liberty have remained the basis of much political thought. It has remained in print since its initial publication. A copy of On Liberty is passed to the president of the British Liberal Democrats as a symbol of office. Mill's marriage to Harriet Taylor Mill greatly influenced the concepts in On Liberty, which was published shortly after she died. (Wikipedia) First Edition 1859 with [The Right of Translation is Reserved] on the copyright page.

Seller: Brainerd Phillipson Rare Books, Holliston, MA, U.S.A.

MILL, John Stuart.. On Liberty.. London: John W. Parker and Son, 1859, 1859.

Price: US$12345.69 + shipping

Description: First edition of the greatest manifesto of liberty and individualism, advocating the complete freedom of the individual save where necessarily restricted to prevent harm, and establishing the personal rights of the individual which neither government nor a democratic majority can overrule. On Liberty "has been viewed by posterity as the kernel of [Mill's] social philosophy" (ODNB). "Many of Mill's ideas are now the commonplaces of democracy. His arguments for freedom of every kind of thought and speech have never been improved on. He was the first to recognize the tendency of a democratically elected majority to tyrannize over a minority" (PMM). Hazlitt, The Free Man's Library, p. 116; MacMinn, Hainds & McCrimmon, p. 92; Printing and the Mind of Man 345. Octavo. Original purple vertical-ribbed cloth, spine lettered in gilt, covers with borders blocked in blind, red endpapers. With 16 pp. publisher's advertisements tipped-in at rear. Contemporary ownership signature at head of title page. Spine ends professionally repaired, short tear at head of title repaired, a very good copy.

Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom