When does freedom become anarchy and chaos? When does government become tyranny and despotism? How much freedom should men have in a society, and how much and what kind of government? John Stuart Mill, one of the great political thinkers of the 19th century, answers these questions in ON LIBERTY. In the essay, Mill developed a humanitarian version of laissez-faire which defends the rights of the individual against authoritarianism. The importance of Mill's work cannot be overestimated. It has influenced socialist and capitalist alike and continues to do so more than 100 years after it was written.