Spontaneity and the Sublime in Liberty in J. S. Mill, Edmund Burke and Henry Jones

The purpose of this work is to provide a different perspective with which to look at the notion of liberty. In order to do this, it is necessary to refer to the two philosophical ideas of spontaneity and the sublime. These two ideas, which are substantially developed within the philosophical theories of J.S. Mill and Edmund Burke, are taken up by one of the last representatives of British idealism, Henry Jones. Jones’s exploration of the philosophical ideas of spontaneity and the sublime, as developed within the theories of Mill and Burke, offers a novel perspective on the notion of liberty. By integrating these two ideas, Jones presents a coherent and unified understanding of freedom, making a significant contribution to the concept of liberty and demonstrating that true freedom can encompass both individual self-determination and a sense of interconnected responsibility towards others and the natural world. This integrated understanding enriches the discourse on freedom and opens up new avenues for exploring the complexities of human liberty.