“A person whose desires and impulses are his own—are the expression of his own nature, as it has been developed and modified by his own culture—is said to have a character. One whose desires and impulses are not his own, has no character, no more than a steam-engine has character…”

English philosopher, political economist, and politician

John Stuart Mill was an English philosopher, political economist, and politician. A major figure in nineteenth-century liberal thought, he is known for shaping modern ideas about individual freedom and limits on state and social control. He argued for liberty as a protection for the individual, and is closely associated with the Harm principle. Mill also supported proportional representation, the emancipation of women, and the growth of labour organisations and farm cooperatives. His work is often placed within both classical liberal and social liberal traditions.