Stuart Mill wrote extensively on topics such as logic, economics, moral philosophy as well as political and social philosophy, and is known for his views on utilitarianism and for being one of the early male advocates of women's rights. The present work deals with the nature of democracy, arguing for the importance of a representative government while discussing the dangers of democracy, namely the tendency towards uniformity and the oppression of minorities.

Stuart Mill served as Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party in the years between 1865-1868. However, he declined "to actively canvass for the seat—indeed, he remained, for most of the campaign, at his home in Avignon. While in the Commons, he championed what he perceived as unpopular but important causes: the extension of suffrage to women, Irish reform, and the prosecution of Governor Eyre for atrocities committed during his administration of Jamaica" (Macleod, in: The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2020).

OCLC registers merely two copies in libraries worldwide, both in Denmark.