“Genius can only breathe freely in an atmosphere of freedom.” – John Stuart Mill, ‘On Liberty’
Today we share the thoughts of English philosopher, political economist and civil servant, John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) from his work ‘On Liberty’, originally published in 1859 and which applied Mill’s ethical system of utilitarianism to society and state. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of liberalism, John Stuart Mill contributed widely to both social and political theory and was the first Member of Parliament to call for women’s suffrage.
Mill’s view on liberty was influenced by Joseph Priestly and Josiah Warren, while his ethical system, utilitarianism, was initially developed by predecessor Jeremy Bentham. Mill extended their work and came to the conclusion that the conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state and social control: the individual ought to be free to do as he wishes unless he harms others or violates their property in some way, people are rational enough to make their own decisions about their own well-being, and government should interfere in a citizen’s liberty only for the protection of society.
Quotes From ‘On Liberty’
Quotes are organized by topic and excerpted from a reprint of fourth edition of ‘On Liberty’, originally published by Longmans, Green, Reader and Dyer in 1869.
Autonomy
“… human liberty… comprises, first… demanding liberty of conscience, in the most comprehensive sense; liberty of thought and feelings; absolute freedom of opinion and sentiment on all subjects, practical or speculative, scientific, moral, or theological. The liberty of expressing and publishing opinions may seem to fall under a different principle, since it belongs to that part of the conduct of an individual which concerns other people; but, being almost of as much important as the liberty of thought itself, and resting in great part on the same reasons, is practically inseparable from it.” – Chapter 1 – Introductory
“If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, then he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“Judgment is given to men that they may use it.” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“… mental development is cramped, and… reason cowed, by the fear of heresy. Who can compute what the world loses in the multitude of promising intellects combined with timid characters, who dare not follow out any bold, vigorous, independent train of thought…?” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“Truth gains more even by the errors of one who, with due study and preparation, thinks for himself, than by the true opinions of those who only hold them because they do not suffer themselves to think.” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“Never when controversy avoided the subjects which are large and important enough to kindle enthusiasm, was the mind of a people stirred up from its foundations, and the impulse given which raised even persons of the most ordinary intellect to something of the dignity of thinking beings.” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“If the cultivation of the understanding consists in one thing more than in another, it is surely in learning the grounds of one’s own opinions.” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“… culture without freedom never made a large and liberal mind…” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“… there are few mental attributes more rare than that judicial faculty which can sit in intelligent judgment between two sides of a question…” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“… in things which do not primarily concern others, individuality should assert itself.” – Chapter 3 – Of Individuality, As One Of The Elements Of Well-Being
“The mental and moral, like the muscular powers, are improved only by being used.” – Chapter 3 – Of Individuality, As One Of The Elements Of Well-Being
“He who lets the world, or his own portion of it, choose his plan of life for him, has no need of any other faculty than the ape-like one of imitation.” – Chapter 3 – Of Individuality, As One Of The Elements Of Well-Being
“… the mind itself is bowed to the yoke: even in what people do for pleasure, conformity is the first thing thought of…” – Chapter 3 – Of Individuality, As One Of The Elements Of Well-Being
“It is not by wearing down into uniformity all that is individual in themselves, but by cultivating it and calling it forth… that human beings become a noble and beautiful object of contemplation… whatever crushes individuality is despotism, by whatever name it is called… it is only the cultivation of individuality which produces, or can produce, well-developed human beings.” – Chapter 3 – Of Individuality, As One Of The Elements Of Well-Being
“.. a person’s taste is as much of his own particular concern as his opinion or his purse.” – Chapter 4 – Of The Limits To The Authority Of Society Over The Individual
Groups
“… then general freedom of our institutions precludes the exercise of the amount of control necessary to render the restraint of any real efficacy as a moral education.” – Chapter 5 – Applications
Liberty
“The struggle between Liberty and Authority is the most conspicuous feature in the portions of history with which we are earliest familiar…” – Chapter 1 – Introductory
“The majority have not yet learnt to feel the power of the government their power, or its opinions their opinions. When they do so, individual liberty will probably be as much exposed to invasion from the government, as it already is from public opinion.” – Chapter 1 – Introductory
“…the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.” – Chapter 1 – Introductory
“The only freedom which deserves the name, is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it.” – Chapter 1 – Introductory
“… there is also in the world at large an increasing inclination to stretch unduly the power of society over the individual, both by the force of opinion and even by that of legislation: and as the tendency of all the changes taking place in the world is to strengthen society, and diminish the power of the individual, this encroachment is not one of the evils which tend spontaneously to disappear, but, on the contrat, to grow more and more formidable.” – Chapter 1 – Introductory
“… both the cheapness and the good quality of commodities are most effectually provided for by leaving the producers and sellers perfectly free, under the sole check of equal freedom…” – Chapter 5 – Applications
“… liberty consists in doing what one desires…” – Chapter 5 – Applications
“… the liberty of the individual, in things wherein the individual is alone concerned, implies a corresponding liberty in any number of individuals to regulate by mutual agreement such things as regard them jointly, and regard no persons but themselves.” – Chapter 5 – Applications
“… liberty is often granted where it should be withheld, as well as withheld where it should be granted…” – Chapter 5 – Applications
“… ideas of liberty… bend so easily to real infringements of the freedom of the individual…” – Chapter 5 – Applications
Self-Sovereignty
“Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.” – Chapter 1 – Introductory
Social Capital
“A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury.” – Chapter 1 – Introductory
“Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.” – Chapter 1 – Introductory
“The disposition of mankind… to impose their own opinions and inclinations as a rule of conduct on others, is so energetically supported by some of the best and by some of the worst feelings incident to human nature, that it is hardly ever kept under restraint by anything but want of power; and as the power is not declining, but growing, unless a strong barrier of moral conviction can be raised against the mischief, we must expect, in the present circumstance of the world, to see it increase.” – Chapter 1 – Introductory
“In the case of any person whose judgment is really deserving of confidence, how has it become so? Because he has kept his mind open to criticism of his opinions and conduct. Because it has been his practice to listen to all that could be said against him; to profit by as much as of it as was just, and expound to himself, and upon occasion to others, the fallacy of what was fallacious.” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“… the oath is worthless, of a person who does not believe in a future state…” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“… social intolerance, kills no one, roots out no opinions, but induces men to disguise them, or to abstain from any active effort for their diffusion… A convenient plan for having peace in the intellectual world… But the price paid for this sort of intellectual pacification, is the sacrifice of the entire moral courage of the human mind.” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“… there is always hope when people are forced to listen to both sides; it is when they attend only to one that errors harden into prejudices, and truth itself ceases to have the effect of truth, by being exaggerated into falsehood.” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“… originality is a valuable element in human affairs… all good things which exist are the fruits of originality…” – Chapter 3 – Of Individuality, As One Of The Elements Of Well-Being
“Though society is not founded on a contract… every one who receives the protection of society owes a return for the benefit, and the fact of living in society renders it indispensable that each should be bound to observe a certain line of conduct towards the rest… Human beings owe it to each other to help to distinguish the better from the worse, and encouragement to choose the former and avoid the latter. They should be forever stimulating each other to increased exercise of their higher faculties, and increased direction of their feelings and aims towards wise instead of foolish, elevating instead of degrading…” – Chapter 4 – Of The Limits To The Authority Of Society Over The Individual
“The distinction between the loss of consideration which a person may rightly incur by defect of prudence or of personal dignity, and the reprobation which is due to him for an offence against the rights of others, is not a merely nominal distinction. It makes a vast difference both in our feelings and in our conduct towards him, whether he displeases us in things in which we think we have a right to control him, or in things in which we know that we have not.” – Chapter 4 – Of The Limits To The Authority Of Society Over The Individual
“No person is an entirely isolated being…” – Chapter 4 – Of The Limits To The Authority Of Society Over The Individual
“… trade is a social act. Whoever undertakes to sell any description of goods to the public, does what affects the interest of other persons, and of society in general… “ – Chapter 5 – Applications
Sovereignty
“The preventive function of government… is far more liable to be abused, to the prejudice of liberty, than the punitory function; for there is hardly any part of the legitimate freedom of action of a human being which would not admit of being represented, and frailty too, as increasing the facilities for some form or other of delinquency.” – Chapter 5 – Applications
“A government cannot have too much of the kind of activity which does not impede, but aids and stimulates, individual exertion and development.” – Chapter 5 – Applications
“The worth of a State, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it… a State, which dwarfs its men, in order that they may be more docile instruments in its hands even for beneficial purposes, will find that with small men no great things can really be accomplished…” – Chapter 5 – Applications
Virtues
“The truth of an opinion is part of its utility.” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“Men are not more zealous for truth than they often are for error…” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“… truth… may be extinguished once, twice, or many times, but in the course of ages there will generally be found persons to rediscover it, until some one of its reappearances falls on a time when from favourable circumstances it scapes persecution until it has made such head as to withstand all subsequent attempts to suppress it.” – Chapter 2 – On The Liberty Of Thought And Discussion
“Among the works of man, which human life is rightly employed in perfecting and beautifying, the first in importance surely is man himself… Human nature is… but a tree, which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides…” – Chapter 3 – Of Individuality, As One Of The Elements Of Well-Being
“The same strong susceptibilities which make the personal impulses vivid and powerful, are also the source from whence are generated the most passionate love of virtue, and the sternest self-control. It is through the cultivation of these, that society both does its duty and protects its interests…” – Chapter 3 – Of Individuality, As One Of The Elements Of Well-Being
“… it is… consistent with faith to believe, that [God] gave all human faculties that they might be cultivated and unfolded, not rooted out and consumed…” – Chapter 3 – Of Individuality, As One Of The Elements Of Well-Being
“Cruelty of disposition; malice and ill-nature; that most anti-social and odious of all passions, envy; dissimulation and insincerity, irascibility on insufficient cause, and resentment disproportionate to the provocation; the love of domineering over others; the desire to engross more than one’s share of advantages; the pride which derives gratification from the abasement of others; the egotism which thinks self and its concerns more important than everything else, and decides all doubtful questions in his own favor; – these are moral vices, and constitute a bad and odious moral character…” – Chapter 4 – Of The Limits To The Authority Of Society Over The Individual
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