“The best state for human nature is that in which, while no one is poor, no one desires to be richer, nor has any reason to fear being thrust back, by the efforts of others to push themselves forward.”

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.