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John Stuart Mill Quotes

Biography

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was an influential English philosopher and political economist, most noted for his works on liberty and utilitarianism. His seminal essay, "On Liberty" (1859), argues for the protection of individual freedoms against societal tyranny. more John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was an influential English philosopher and political economist, most noted for his works on liberty and utilitarianism. His seminal essay, "On Liberty" (1859), argues for the protection of individual freedoms against societal tyranny. Mill's "Utilitarianism" (1861) further developed the ethical theory originally advanced by Jeremy Bentham, emphasizing the greatest happiness principle. As a Member of Parliament (1865-1868), he championed women's suffrage and social reforms, including the 1867 Reform Act. Mill's rigorous logic and eloquent prose mark him as a key figure in 19th-century thought. His "Principles of Political Economy" (1848) became a standard economic textbook, reflecting his profound impact on both philosophy and economics. less

Popular Quotes

"Protection against the tyranny of the magistrate is not enough"
Tags: Freedom, Justice, Human rights, Liberty, Government
"That so few now dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of the time"
Tags: Courage, Individuality, Society, Fear, Uniqueness
"The struggle between Liberty and Authority is the most conspicuous feature in the portions of history with which we are earliest familiar"
Tags: Society, Power, History, Conflict, Struggle
"The worth of the State, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it"
Tags: Society, Self-worth, Governance, Political philosophy, Political theory
"Liberty consists in doing what one desires"
Tags: Freedom, Independence, Self-expression, Human rights, Self-determination
"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"
Tags: Power, Liberty, Political philosophy, Individual rights
"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied"
Tags: Philosophy, Human nature, Ethics, Existentialism, Human condition
"Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness."
Tags: Philosophy, Happiness, Ethics, Morality, Well-being
"The principle itself of liberty and the Social Contract is a rights-logic applicable to all human beings without discrimination."
Tags: Philosophy, Freedom, Equality, Human rights, Liberty
"I am not aware that any community has a right to force another to be civilized."
Tags: Freedom, Ethics, Community, Self-determination, Liberty
"The duty of man is the same in respect to his own nature as in respect to everything else, namely not to follow it but to amend it."
Tags: Personal growth, Philosophy, Self-improvement, Human nature, Ethics
"The amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigor, and courage which it contained."
Tags: Creativity, Courage, Innovation, Individuality, Society
"The despotism of custom is everywhere the standing hindrance to human advancement."
Tags: Innovation, Individuality, Freedom, Conformity, Social change
"There is no necessity to separate the inward and outward life, no necessity ever to make a compromise between some inward principle and outward duty"
Tags: Authenticity, Integrity, Unity, Balance, Harmony
"All good things which exist are the fruits of originality"
Tags: Inspiration, Creativity, Innovation, Individuality, Authenticity
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