Natural rights Quote by John Stuart Mill
““Natural rights, nonsense; natural and imprescriptible rights, rhetorical nonsense, elevated nonsense, nonsense going on stilts.””
About This Quote
Source Book: On Liberty, John Stuart Mill, 1859
Mill critiques the concept of inherent, unchangeable rights as empty rhetoric lacking practical basis.
In simple terms: He calls natural rights nonsense.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about inherent rights.
Themes
philosophy
political theory
rights
critical thinking
Mood
skeptical
critical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- legal debates
- human rights discussions
- policy making
Key Concepts
liberalism
natural law
rhetoric
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you base your actions on assumed natural rights?
- How can societies define rights without invoking “natural” authority?
A Different Perspective
Rights may be socially constructed, not universal.
![“[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)
![“We were born with natural rights. We don't need civil rights. [African-Americans] don't need civil rights. They don't need them. They have inalienable rights granted by God in the Constitution. I mean, I'm discriminated against all the time. I don't care. It doesn't bother me. [I'm discriminated…” quote by Chuck Woolery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/877/chuck-woolery-16119_african-american_we-were-born-with-natural-rights-we-don_48287.jpg)
