On Liberty

Mill’s essay on the limits of legitimate coercion, which introduces the harm principle — that the only purpose for which power may rightfully be exercised over an individual against his will is to prevent harm to others — and then spends its most famous chapter arguing for free discussion on epistemic rather than sentimental grounds: silencing an opinion assumes infallibility, a received truth held without challenge decays into dead dogma, and most contested questions turn out to have part of the truth on each side.

Why it’s on the list: It anchors the Liberalism, Democracy, and Pluralism section, which is the curriculum’s case for why a builder should want a society that tolerates being argued with — and it is marked on the source list.

Where I saw it: Brendan McCord’s Philosopher-Entrepreneur Reading List, in the section on Liberalism, Democracy, and Pluralism. A structured curriculum shared March 9, 2026 and saved to Kyle’s Apple Note “Books To Read”; the full 211-entry transcription is on The Philosopher-Entrepreneur Reading List.

Connections

• Liberalism — the tradition this essay largely defines.
• Democracy — Mill’s worry about the tyranny of the majority.
• Epistemology — the free-discussion argument is an epistemic one.
• The Philosopher-Entrepreneur Reading List — the curriculum this came from.