Ten top political founding works

At the Guardian Rohan McWilliam tagged ten of the greatest political founding works, including:

On Liberty by John Stuart Mill (1859)

Whenever we argue about the right to free speech, at some point Mill’s great essay will be quoted. On Liberty is one of the key texts of modern liberalism. Mill argued in favour of free speech, complaining about the “tyranny of the majority”. He thought stifling uncomfortable opinions may lead to repressing ideas that are, in fact, correct. However, he also believed it was right to repress words and actions if they harmed others. He did not believe everyone should do as they liked, as this would promote selfishness. Mill’s views were shaped by his relationship with his wife, the philosopher Harriet Taylor Mill, and he became a champion of votes for women.

Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue