John Stuart Mill’s assertion that “the worth of a state in the long run is the worth of the individuals composing it” encapsulates a central normative principle of liberal political thought: that the legitimacy, vitality, and justice of political institutions are fundamentally rooted in the character, intellect, and moral autonomy of individual citizens. This proposition … Continue reading How does J. S. Mill’s assertion that the value of a state is determined by the character and capacity of its individual citizens inform liberal political thought on governance, civic responsibility, and the ethical foundations of political legitimacy?