On Liberty |
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Common terms and phrases
action admit argument asserted authority believe better cation cause cerns character Christian concerns conduct considerable contrary conviction cracy creed custom deny desire despotism discussion doctrine duty effect enforce error ethics evil example exercise exist experience faculties feelings freedom grounds heretics human immoral impulses individual infallibility intellect interest interference John Knox JOHN STUART MILL judgment justify liberty limit mankind Marcus Aurelius means ment mental mind mode moral nations nature necessary neral never nion object offence Parsees party penalties persecution persons political practical present principle profess punishment question quire racter reason received opinion recognised religion religious require restraint rulers rules sary self-regarding sentiments side siderable sion social social rights social stigma society Socrates specting supposed tain things thought tion toleration tricity true truth unless vidual whole Wilhelm von Humboldt wrong
Popular passages
Page 6 - That principle is, that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose...
Page 34 - Human nature is not a machine to be built after a model, and set to do exactly the work prescribed for it, but a tree, which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides, according to the tendency of the inward forces which make it a living thing.
Page 36 - Thus the mind itself is bowed to the yoke: even in what people do for pleasure, conformity is the first thing thought of; they like in crowds; they exercise choice only among things commonly done: peculiarity of taste, eccentricity of conduct, are shunned equally with crimes: until by dint of not following their own nature they have no nature to follow: their human capacities are withered and starved: they become incapable of any strong wishes or native pleasures, and are generally without either...
Page 7 - Secondly, the principle requires liberty of tastes and pursuits; of framing the plan of our life to suit our own character; of doing as we like, subject to such consequences as may follow: without impediment from our fellow-creatures, so long as what we do does not harm them, even though they should think our conduct foolish, perverse, or wrong.
Page 3 - There is a limit to the legitimate interference of collective opinion with individual independence ; and to find that limit, and maintain it against encroachment, is as indispensable to a good condition of human affairs, as protection against political despotism.
Page 33 - It is desirable, in short, that in things which do not primarily concern others, individuality should assert itself. Where, not the person's own character, but the traditions or customs of other people are the rule of conduct, there is wanting one of the principal ingredients of human happiness, and quite the chief ingredient of individual and social progress.
Page 41 - The spirit of improvement is not always a spirit of liberty, for it may aim at forcing improvements on an unwilling people ; and the spirit of liberty, in so far as it resists such attempts, may ally itself locally and temporarily with the opponents of improvement ; but the only unfailing and permanent source of improvement is liberty, since by it there are as many possible independent centers of improvement as there are individuals.
Page 61 - ... any future use of it, beyond that single act. He therefore defeats, in his own case, the very purpose which is the justification of allowing him to dispose of himself.
Page 6 - It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to say that this doctrine is meant to apply only to human beings in the maturity of their faculties. We are not speaking of children, or of young persons below the age which the law may fix as that of manhood or womanhood.
Page 62 - That the whole or any large part of the education of the people should be in State hands, I go as far as any one in deprecating. All that has been said of the importance of individuality of character, and diversity in opinions and modes of conduct, involves, as of the same unspeakable importance, diversity of education. A general State education is a mere contrivance for moulding people...