Philosophy · Similar reads
Books like On Liberty
The best books like On Liberty are The Federalist Papers, Democracy in America, and On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. On Liberty by John Stuart Mill is about individual freedom, political authority, free speech. If that's what drew you in, here are 12 books that share its DNA — each summarized on Superbook, and ready to chat with in the app.
- The Federalist Papers
01
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay · History
The Federalist Papers are a collection of eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay between October 1787 and May 1788, under the collective pseudonym Publius.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - Democracy in America
02
Alexis de Tocqueville · History
Democracy in America, published in two volumes in 1835 and 1840, is Alexis de Tocqueville's analysis of the democratic experiment in the United States as a model for what was coming to Europe.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
03
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
Timothy Snyder · History
On Tyranny is Timothy Snyder's brief handbook drawn from the history of twentieth-century authoritarianism.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary →
- Enlightenment Now
04
Steven Pinker · Science
Enlightenment Now is Steven Pinker's argument that the ideals of the Enlightenment — reason, science, humanism, and progress — have been responsible for a dramatic and continuing improvement in human wellbeing across virtually every measurable dimension, and that these ideals are under threat from counter-Enlightenment movements on both the left and the right.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - The Road to Serfdom
05
F. A. Hayek · Politics
The Road to Serfdom, published in 1944, is Friedrich Hayek's argument that central economic planning is incompatible with political freedom and will, regardless of intent, produce a form of totalitarianism.
Shares individual freedom and liberalism with On Liberty.
Read the summary → - Leviathan
06
Thomas Hobbes · Philosophy
Leviathan, published in 1651 in the aftermath of the English Civil War, is one of the founding texts of modern political philosophy.
Both dig into political authority.
Read the summary → - The Coddling of the American Mind
07
The Coddling of the American Mind
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt · Psychology
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt argue that American universities — and the parents and institutions that feed them — have adopted three ideas they call the Great Untruths: that what doesn't kill you makes you weaker, that you should always trust your feelings, and that life is a battle between good people and evil people.
Both dig into free speech.
Read the summary → - The People vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It
08
The People vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It
Yascha Mounk · Politics
Yascha Mounk argues that liberal democracy — the marriage of individual rights with popular self-government — is coming apart.
Both dig into liberalism.
Read the summary → - 1984
09
George Orwell · Philosophy
Nineteen Eighty-Four is George Orwell's 1949 novel about a future England called Airstrip One, governed by the totalitarian Party under the figurehead Big Brother.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
10
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari · Philosophy
Where Sapiens traced humanity's past and Homo Deus speculated about its future, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century plants itself in the present.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - A Guide to the Good Life
11
William Irvine · Philosophy
William Irvine's book is a modern case for reviving Stoic philosophy as a practical guide to living well.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - A History of Western Philosophy
12
A History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell · Philosophy
A History of Western Philosophy is Bertrand Russell's single-volume account of Western philosophical thought from the pre-Socratics through Aristotle, the Stoics, medieval Scholasticism, the Renaissance, the empiricists and rationalists, Kant, German Idealism, and the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary →
Books like On Liberty: quick answers
What are the best books like On Liberty?
The best books like On Liberty by John Stuart Mill are The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker, The Road to Serfdom by F. A. Hayek, plus 7 more below. Each was chosen for themes it shares with On Liberty, such as individual freedom, political authority, free speech.
What should I read after On Liberty?
A natural next read after On Liberty is The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. A kindred philosophy read. Other strong choices are Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker.
What books are similar to On Liberty by John Stuart Mill?
On Liberty centers on individual freedom, political authority, free speech. Books with a similar feel include The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker, The Road to Serfdom by F. A. Hayek, Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes — all free to read and chat with on Superbook.
