Educating Liberty

Alexis de Tocqueville famously identified the problem of democracy as the "tyranny of the majority," when the rule of the majority oppresses or marginalizes minorities and individuals. John Stuart Mill, perhaps more than any other liberal thinker, attempted to find a solution to this problem.
In this study of Mill's political theory, Chris Barker shows how Mill's civic education transforms an individual into a citizen, who is free to form opinions, analyze, and thus wield a power capable of moderating irresponsible power of the ruling classes. Barker examines Mill's thought as it isapplied to five prominent classes or institutions of democratic life — marriage, economic participation, scientific expertise, representative politics, and religion — and shows how educated and free-thinking citizens, even though they disagree, temper the extreme politics of those in power within those institutions. Offering comprehensive analysis of Mill's theory of liberty, Barker shows thataccording to Mill, liberty depends not only on an educated citizenship but also a citizenship that is diverse, holding different views, mores, and traditions.
CHRIS BARKER is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the American University in Cairo.