Reddit reviews On Liberty and Other Essays (Oxford World's Classics)
We found 3 Reddit comments about On Liberty and Other Essays (Oxford World's Classics). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
If you want to cover British Liberalism you can't beat a bit of John Stuart Mill:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Liberty-Essays-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199535736/ref=pd_cp_14_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1EGJQE3D5XCWHW5QBQTM
Seconding /u/ivanthecurious 's suggestion of Manin's Principles of Representative Government, its a really readable historical account of the rise of consent and representation in democracy.
I'm reading JS Mill's 'On Representative Government' and it seems like it might be exactly what you're looking for, not contemporary by any means, but a thorough defence of the principles of representation
Utilitarianism says that the best action is one that increases the overall good. Rioting reduces "good" for lots of people (especially those who have their stuff destroyed or stolen) by reducing the overall "good" in society.
Some basic reading:
Utilitarianism and Other Essays.
On Liberty and Other Essays.
A Theory of Justice.
Utilitarianism is one of the major philosophies behind human/animal rights and abolition (of slavery). John Stuart Mill's writings have had a large impact on various political philosphies as well as science.