John Stuart Mill (1806 –1873) was a British philosopher and political economist. He was the oldest son of James Mill, Scottish economist, historian and philosopher, who had a great influence on John Stuart’s education.
John Stuart Mill made great contributions to political economy, political theory and social theory. He was one of the most important English philosophers of the 19th century. Mill was a proponent of Bentham’s “utilitarianism” and liberal political philosophy.
John Stuart Mill Quotes
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 sufficient warrant.— John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, Chapter 1
War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.— John Stuart Mill
Eccentricity has always abounded when and where strength of character has abounded, and the amount of eccentricity in a society has been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigor, and moral courage it contained.— John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, Chapter 3
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 to impede their efforts to obtain it.— John Stuart Mill
One person with a belief is equal to a force of 99 who have only interests.— John Stuart Mill, activism