Absolutes Quote by John Stuart Mill
“In early times, the great majority of the male sex were slaves, as well as the whole of the female. And many ages elapsed, some of them ages of high cultivation, before any thinker was bold enough to question the rightfulness, and the absolute social necessity, either of the one slavery or of the other.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: On Liberty, 1859
Historically, both men and women have been enslaved; questioning the moral justification of any form of slavery took centuries of intellectual progress.
In simple terms: Slavery was once accepted for both genders; questioning it took time.
Key Takeaway
Challenge accepted norms and advocate for freedom.
Themes
freedom
equality
human rights
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
historical
When to use this quote
- civil rights movements
- gender equality debates
- educational curricula
- legal reforms
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
social justice
history
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do societies cling to oppressive traditions?
- What fuels the shift toward equality?
A Different Perspective
Changing deep‑rooted beliefs is slow and meets resistance.
![“[For people] to refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is the same thing as absolute certainty. All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility.” quote by John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c53/john-stuart-mill-477_doubt_for-people-to-refuse-a-hearing-to-an-opi_63929.jpg)
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