I recently came across John Stuart Mill, an influential English liberal thinker. In all honestly, I am quite surprised I didn't read much of him until now. Certain quotes of his are relatively familiar to me, but I either didn't bother giving much attention to the author (which is highly unlikely) or they were miss-attributed. Reading certain quotes of his on Goodreads, I was impressed by his intellectuality, liberal beliefs and liberty principals.
I decided to post here some of his quotes on freedom of opinion, of individuality and liberty, as I think they teach great lessons.
The quotes are:
“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, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.” ― John Stuart Mill
“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.” ― John Stuart Mill, On Liberty
“In this age, the mere example of non-conformity, the mere refusal to
bend the knee to custom, is itself a service. Precisely because the
tyranny of opinion is such as to make eccentricity a reproach, it is
desirable, in order to break through that tyranny, that people should be
eccentric. Eccentricity has always abounded when and where strength of
character has abounded; and the amount of eccentricity in a society has
generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigor, and
moral courage which it contained. That so few now dare to be eccentric,
marks the chief danger of the time.”
―
John Stuart Mill,
On Liberty
“The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it
is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing
generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those
who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the
opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is
almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier
impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.”
―
John Stuart Mill,
On Liberty
“He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His
reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. But
if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if
he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for
preferring either opinion... Nor is it enough that he should hear the
opinions of adversaries from his own teachers, presented as they state
them, and accompanied by what they offer as refutations. He must be able
to hear them from persons who actually believe them...he must know them
in their most plausible and persuasive form.”
―
John Stuart Mill,
On Liberty
“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. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient
warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it
will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier,
because, in the opinions of others, to do so would be wise, or even
right. These are good reasons for remonstrating with him, or reasoning
with him, or persuading him, or entreating him, but not for compelling
him, or visiting him with any evil, in case he do otherwise.”
―
John Stuart Mill,
On Liberty
Some of them might be rather long, but they are worth reading.
