On Liberty is a philosophical work by
English philosopher John Stuart Mill, originally intended as a short essay. The work, published in 1859, applies Mill's ethical system of
utilitarianism to society and the state. Mill attempts to establish standards for the relationship between
authority and
liberty. He emphasizes the importance of
individuality which he conceived as a prerequisite to the higher pleasures—the
summum bonum of Utilitarianism. Furthermore, Mill criticised the errors of past attempts to defend individuality where, for example, democratic ideals resulted in the
"tyranny of the majority". Among the standards established in this work 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 "which together form the entire doctrine of [Mill's] Essay."