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John Stuart Mill

John Stuart Mill Quotes

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Famous John Stuart Mill Quotes

“The great writers to whom the world owes what religious liberty it possesses, have mostly asserted freedom of conscience as an indefeasible right, and denied absolutely that a human being is accountable to others for his religious belief. Yet so natural to mankind is intolerance in whatever they really care about, that religious freedom has hardly anywhere been practically realised, except where religious indifference, which dislikes to have its peace disturbed by theological quarrels, has added its weight to the scale.”

WorldHumansCareReligionBeliefNaturalReligiousHuman BeingsLibertyMankindConscienceWeightToleranceScalesIndifferenceDislikeDeniedIntoleranceQuarrelsRealisedDisturbedTheologicalReligious FreedomReligious BeliefGreat WritersReligious Liberty
Book:On Liberty: Mill's Works
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“The majority, being satisfied with the ways of mankind as they now are (for it is they who make them what they are), cannot comprehend why those ways should not be good enough for everybody; and what is more, spontaneity forms no part of the ideal of the majority of moral and social reformers, but is rather looked on with jealousy, as a troublesome and perhaps rebellious obstruction to the general acceptance of what these reformers, in their own judgment, think would be best for mankind.”

ThinkingWayShouldEnoughWould BeFormSocialMoralAtheismMankindAcceptanceJudgmentIdealsMajorityPositive AtheismBe GoodSatisfiedGood EnoughRebelliousSpontaneityTroublesomeReformersObstruction
Book:J. S. Mill: 'On Liberty' and Other Writings
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“There is one characteristic of the present direction of public opinion, peculiarly calculated to make it intolerant of any marked demonstration of individuality. The general average of mankind are not only moderate in intellect, but also moderate in inclinations: they have no tastes or wishes strong enough to incline them to do anything unusual, and they consequently do not understand those who have, and class all such with the wild and intemperate whom they are accustomed to look down upon.”

LooksEnoughStrongWishOpinionClassMankindTasteAverageIndividualityIntellectCharacteristicsUnusualAccustomedInclinationPublic OpinionModeratesStrong EnoughDemonstrationIncline
Book:J. S. Mill: 'On Liberty' and Other Writings
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“Political Economy as a branch of science is extremely modern; but the subject with which its enquiries are conversant has in all ages necessarily constituted one of the chief practical interests of mankind.”

AgePoliticalInterestEconomyModernSubjectsMankindPracticalsChiefsBranchesEnquiryPolitical Economy
Book:Principles of Political Economy: With Some of Their Applications to Social Philosophy
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“Hardly any original thoughts on mental or social subjects ever make their way among mankind or assume their proper importance in the minds even of their inventors, until aptly selected words or phrases have as it were nailed them down and held them fast.”

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Book:A System of Logic, Ratiocinative and Inductive: Being a Connected View of the Principles of Evidence and the Methods of Scientific Investigation
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“If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.”

IfsPersonsPhilosophyWould BeDifferencesFreedomOpinionMankindExpressionGeniusCivil RightsCensorshipFree SpeechFreedom Of SpeechJustifiedDissentFirst AmendmentFreedom And LibertyCivil LibertiesFreedom Of ExpressionMinusRights And FreedomsThat One PersonSilencingFreedom To ReadLiberty Of SpeechFirst Amendment Rights
Author:John Stuart Mill
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“Unfortunately for the good sense of mankind, the fact of their fallibility is far from carrying the weight in their practical judgement, which is always allowed to it in theory; for while every one well knows himself to be fallible, few think it necessary to take any precautions against their own fallibility.”

ThinkingKnowsWellsFactsMankindTheoryWeightPracticalsJudgementGood SensePrecautionFallibility
Book:On Liberty, Utilitarianism and Other Essays
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“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. Each is the proper guardian of his own health, whether bodily, or mental or spiritual. 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.”

WayLongSeemsSpiritualSufferingChoicesNamesFreedomEffortGreaterMankindHealthHealthyDeserveCompellingGuardian
Book:The Classical Utilitarians: Bentham and Mill
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“I have a hundred times heard him say, that all ages and nations have represented their gods as wicked, in a constantly increasing progression; that mankind have gone on adding trait after trait till they reached the most perfect conception of wickedness which the human mind could devise, and have called this God, and prostrated themselves before it.”

MindHumansAgeNationsPerfectGoneHeardMankindHundredWickedHuman MindConceptionTraitsWickednessProgression
Book:John Stuart Mill: Life, Life Lessons & Achievements: Childhood and Early Education, Moral Influences in Early Youth, Youthful Propagandism, Completion of the
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“Those only are happy who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; on the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on some art or pursuit, followed not as a means, but as itself an ideal end. Aiming thus at something else, they find happiness by the way.”

WayMindMeanArtEndsHappinessMankindObjectsHumilityIdealsCaringImprovementPursuitFixedFinding Happiness
Book:The Collected Works of John Stuart Mill: Utilitarianism, The Subjection of Women, On Liberty, Principles of Political Economy, A System of Logic, Ratiocinative and Inductive, Memoirs…
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“The laws and conditions of the production of wealth partake of the character of physical truths. There is nothing optional or arbitrary in them ... It is not so with the Distribution of Wealth. That is a matter of human institution solely. The things once there, mankind, individually or collectively, can do with them as they like.”

HumansMatterCharacterTruthLawScienceCan DoWealthConditionsMankindInstitutionsProductionsDistributionArbitraryOptionalDistribution Of Wealth
Book:Principles of Political Economy: Abridged with Critical, Bibliographical and Explanatory Notes and a Sketch of the History of Political Economy
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“The reasons for legal intervention in favour of children apply not less strongly to the case of those unfortunate slaves and victims of the most brutal part of mankind - the lower animals.”

ChildrenReasonAnimalCasesMankindVictimSlaveAnimal RightsBrutalUnfortunateFavourInterventionAnimal WelfareAnimal World
Book:Principles of Political Economy (Abridged): With Some of Their Applications to Social Philosophy
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“History shows that great economic and social forces flow like a tide over communities only half conscious of that which is befalling them. Wise statesmen foresee what time is thus bringing, and try to shape institutions and mold men's thoughts and purposes in accordance with the change that is silently coming on. The unwise are those who bring nothing constructive to the process, and who greatly imperil the future of mankind by leaving great questions to be fought out between ignorant change on one hand and ignorant opposition to change on the other.”

MenTryingShowsHandsPurposeForceSocialProcessCommunityHalfWiseEconomicMankindShapesConsciousFlowInstitutionsHistoricalLeavingIgnorantOppositionTidesConstructiveMoldStatesmenUnwiseFuture Of Mankind
Author:John Stuart Mill
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“No longer enslaved or made dependent by force of law, the great majority are so by force of property; they are still chained to a place, to an occupation, and to conformity with the will of an employer, and debarred by the accident of birth to both the enjoyments, and from the mental and moral advantages, which others inherit without exertion and independently of desert. That this is an evil equal to almost any of those against which mankind have hitherto struggles, the poor are not wrong in believing.”

BelieveMadeStillsLawEvilForcePoorMoralStruggleMankindBirthEqualAdvantageMajorityPropertyAccidentsLibertarianDesertEnjoymentDependentOccupationConformityEmployersExertionChained
Book:Socialism: Mill's Works
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