Authors Challenge Interpretations Of Mill's Free-Speech

Scholars Christopher Barker and Fara Dabhoiwala recently argue that John Stuart Mill limited free-speech rights for colonial subjects, prompting a reassessment of his liberal legacy in a review of their work. The reviewer contends both authors mischaracterize Mill—Barker by overstating support for East India Company censorship and Dabhoiwala through misleading documentary readings—raising questions about interpretations at the intersection of free speech and empire.