The process of tracing regularity in any complicated, and at first sight confused, set of appearances, is necessarily tentative; we begin by making any supposition, even a false one, to see what consequences will follow from it ; and by observing how these differ from the real phenomena, we learn what corrections to make in our assumption.

John Stuart Mill

More Quotes by John Stuart Mill
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More Quotes From John Stuart Mill

If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.

John Stuart Mill
differencesfreedomphilosophy

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
libertarian-partypowerwar

Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservative.

John Stuart Mill
conservativestupidpeople

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 impede their efforts to obtain it. Each is the proper guardian of his own health, whether bodily, or mental or spiritual. Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.

John Stuart Mill
freedomhealthspiritual
Liberty lies in the rights of that person whose views you find mo... by John Stuart Mill

Liberty lies in the rights of that person whose views you find most odious.

John Stuart Mill
rightsphilosophylying

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.

John Stuart Mill
patrioticmilitarywar

I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them.

John Stuart Mill
being-happyhappinessinspirational

He who knows only his own side of the case (argument) knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion

John Stuart Mill
oppositesdoemay
Whatever crushes individuality is despotism. by John Stuart Mill

Whatever crushes individuality is despotism.

John Stuart Mill
crushindividualityliberty

To tax the larger incomes at a higher percentage than the smaller, is to lay a tax on industry and economy; to impose a penalty on people for having worked harder and saved more than their neighbors.

John Stuart Mill
libertarianlibertypeople

A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury.

John Stuart Mill
accountabilityevillife

Protection, therefore, against the tyranny of the magistrate is not enough; there needs protection against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling, against the tendency of society to impose, by other means than civil penalties, its own ideas and practices as rules of conduct on those who dissent from them.

John Stuart Mill
practicemeanideas
All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility. by John Stuart Mill

All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility.

John Stuart Mill
absolute-certaintyassumptionsilence

How can great minds be produced in a country where the test of great minds is agreeing in the opinion of small minds?

John Stuart Mill
greatnessmindcountry
The love of power and the love of liberty are in eternal antagoni... by John Stuart Mill

The love of power and the love of liberty are in eternal antagonism.

John Stuart Mill
antagonismlibertyauthority

The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people.

John Stuart Mill
nuisancelibertypeople

There is an imaginary circle drawn around every human being, over which no government should be able to step.

John Stuart Mill
circlesablegovernment

...to bring a child into existence without a fair prospect of being able, not only to provide food for its body, but instruction and training for its mind is a moral crime, both against the unfortunate offspring and against society

John Stuart Mill
trainingmindchildren

The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.

John Stuart Mill
errorsraceopportunity

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 impede their efforts to obtain it.

John Stuart Mill
freedomnamesmotivational