Despotism is a legitimate mode of government in dealing with barbarians, provided the end be their improvement. — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
The most cogent reason for restricting the interference of government is the great evil of adding unnecessarily to its power. — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
In its narrowest acceptation, order means obedience. A government is said to preserve order if it succeeds in getting itself obeyed. — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
Any participation, even in the smallest public function, is useful. — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
There is an imaginary circle drawn around every human being, over which no government should be able to step. — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
“Governments must be made for human beings as they are, or as they are capable of speedily becoming.” — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
In all the more advanced communities the great majority of things are worse done by the intervention of government than the individuals… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
A general State education is a mere contrivance for moulding people to be exactly like one another, and as the mould in… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
Instead of the function of governing, for which it is radically unfit, the proper office of a representative assembly is to watch… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
Among a people without fellow-feeling, especially if they read and speak different languages, the united public opinion, necessary to the working of… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
Men and governments must act to the best of their ability. There is no such thing as absolute certainty but there is… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
When the people are too much attached to savage independence, to be tolerant of the amount of power to which it is… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
All women are brought up from the very earliest years in the belief that their ideal of character is the very opposite… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
The natural tendency of representative government, as of modern civilisation, is towards collective mediocrity: and this tendency is increased by all reductions… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
A democratic constitution, not supported by democratic institutions in detail, but confined to the central government, not only is not political freedom,… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
A general State education is a mere contrivance for moulding people to be exactly like one another; and as the mould in… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
A people among whom there is no habit of spontaneous action for a collective interest - who look habitually to their government… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
To think that because those who wield power in society wield in the end that of government, therefore it is of no… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
The United States is no more a Christian nation because most of its citizens are Christians than it is a 'white' nation… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
In a really equal democracy, every or any section would be represented, not disproportionately, but proportionately. ... Unless they are, there is… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
“It still remains unrecognised, that to bring a child into existence without a fair prospect of being able, not only to provide… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
In proportion as the people are accustomed to manage their affairs by their own active intervention, instead of leaving them to the… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
A people may prefer a free government, but if, from indolence, or carelessness, or cowardice, or want of public spirit, they are… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
A people may prefer a free government, but if by momentary discouragement or temporary panic, or a fit of enthusiasm for an… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share Image
The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population. — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
Liberty lies in the rights of that person whose views you find most odious. — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
“No longer enslaved or made dependent by force of law, the great majority are so by force of poverty; they are still chained to… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
All acts suppose certain dispositions, and habits of mind and heart, which may be in themselves states of enjoyment or of wretchedness, and which… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
Unfortunately for the good sense of mankind, the fact of their fallibility is far from carrying the weight in their practical judgement, which is… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
“In history, as in traveling, men usually see only what they already had in their own minds; and few learn much from history, who… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
All errors which a man is likely to commit against advice are far outweighed by the evil of allowing others to constrain him for… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
Every great movement must experience three stages: ridicule, discussion, adoption. — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
The successful conduct of an industrial enterprise requires two quite distinct qualifications: fidelity and zeal. — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
“[For people] to refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
This is what writers mean when they say that the notion of cause involves the idea of necessity. If there be any meaning which… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
“Protection, therefore, against tyranny of the magistrate is not enough: there needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling; against… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
Landlords grow rich in their sleep without working, risking or economizing. The increase in the value of land, arising as it does from the… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
There is one characteristic of the present direction of public opinion, peculiarly calculated to make it intolerant of any marked demonstration of individuality. The… — John Stuart Mill Copy Share
