Civilized Quote by John Stuart Mill
“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.”
About This Quote
Source Book: On Liberty, John Stuart Mill, 1859
Power may only be used to stop harm to others, not to enforce personal notions of good.
In simple terms: Power justified only to prevent harm.
Key Takeaway
Limit power to protecting others.
Themes
ethics
politics
rights
Mood
serious
reflective
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- government policy
- law enforcement
- public health
- education curricula
Key Concepts
libertarianism
harm principle
Questions to Reflect On
- When does intervention become overreach?
- How to balance safety and freedom?
A Different Perspective
Power can be abused despite good intentions.
![“[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)
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
