John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Millwas an English philosopher, political economist, feminist, and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of liberalism, he contributed widely to social theory, political theory and political economy. He has been called "the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century." Mill's conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state control...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth20 May 1806
positive-thinking fruit originality
All good things which exist are the fruits of originality.
accountability action individual
The individual is not accountable to society for his actions in so far as these concern the interests of no person but himself.
individuality earth salt
But these few are the salt of the earth; without them, human life would become a stagnant pool. Not only is it they who introduce good things which did not before exist, it is they who keep the life in those which already existed.
mistake land errors
To mistake money for wealth, is the same sort of error as to mistake the highway which may be the easiest way of getting to your house or lands, for the house and lands themselves.
individuality development proportion
In proportion to the development of his individuality, each person becomes more valuable to himself, and is therefore capable of being more valuable to others. . . .
agnostic duty dissent
The time appears to me to have come when it is the duty of all to make their dissent from religion known.
survival flavor certain
Life has a certain flavor for those who have fought and risked all that the sheltered and protected can never experience.
physicians lawyer university
The object of universities is not to make skillful lawyers, physicians or engineers. It is to make capable and cultivated human beings
political-revolution moral opinion
All political revolutions, not affected by foreign conquest, originate in moral revolutions. The subversion of established institutions is merely one consequence of the previous subversion of established opinions.
kings men progress
Any society which is not improving is deteriorating, and the more so the closer and more familiar it is. Even a really superior man almost always begins to deteriorate when he is habitually king of his company.
humanity obedience capable
All the good of which humanity is capable is comprised in obedience.
punishment giving criminals
Since the state must necessarily provide subsistence for the criminal poor while undergoing punishment, not to do the same for the poor who have not offended is to give a premium on crime.
individuality liberty culture
If it were felt that the free development of individuality is one of the leading essentials of well-being; that it is not only a coordinate element with all that is designated by the terms civilisation, instruction, education, culture, but is itself a necessary part and condition of all those things; there would be no danger that liberty should be undervalued.
inference process known
Induction is a process of inference; it proceeds from the known to the unknown.