John Stuart Mill Quotes about Liberty

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

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

John Stuart Mill

Liberty, Authority, Antagonism

John Stuart Mill, Harriet Taylor Mill (1970). “Essays on Sex Equality”, p.238, University of Chicago Press

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

John Stuart Mill

People, Liberty, Nuisance

On Liberty ch. 3 (1859)

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

People, Liberty, Libertarian

John Stuart Mill (1866). “Principles of Political Economy: With Some of Their Applications to Social Philosophy”, p.487

Whatever crushes individuality is despotism.

John Stuart Mill

Crush, Individuality, Liberty

On Liberty ch. 3 (1859)

Liberty consists in doing what one desires.

John Stuart Mill

Philosophical, Desire, Liberty

On Liberty ch. 5 (1859)

The spirit of improvement is not always a spirit of liberty, for it may aim at forcing improvements on an unwilling people.

John Stuart Mill

Freedom, People, Liberty

John Stuart Mill (1865). “On Liberty”, p.41

The struggle between Liberty and Authority is the most conspicuous feature in the portions of history with which we are earliest familiar; particularly in that of Greece, Rome, and England

John Stuart Mill

Struggle, Rome, Liberty

John Stuart Mill “Annotated On Liberty with English Grammar Exercises: by John Stuart Mill (Author), Robert Powell (Editor)”, Powell Publications, LLC

We can never be sure that the opinion we are endeavoring to stifle is a false opinion; and if we were sure, stifling it would be an evil still.

John Stuart Mill

Evil, Liberty, Would Be

On Liberty ch. 2 (1859)

In a world in which there is so much to interest, so much to enjoy, and so much also to correct and improve, everyone who has this moderate amount of moral and intellectual requisites is capable of an existence which may be called enviable; and unless such a person, through bad laws, or subjection to the will of others, is denied the liberty to use the sources of happiness within his reach, he will not fail to find the enviable existence

John Stuart Mill

Law, Intellectual, Liberty

John Stuart Mill (2017). “Utilitarianism”, p.13, Coventry House Publishing

If it were felt that the free development of individuality is one of the leading essentials of well-being; that it is not only a coordinate element with all that is designated by the terms civilisation, instruction, education, culture, but is itself a necessary part and condition of all those things; there would be no danger that liberty should be undervalued.

John Stuart Mill

Individuality, Liberty, Essentials

John Stuart Mill (1989). “J. S. Mill: 'On Liberty' and Other Writings”, p.57, Cambridge University Press

And it is not difficult to show, by abundant instances, that to extend the bounds of what may be called moral police, until it encroaches on the most unquestionably legitimate liberty of the individual, is one of the most universal of all human propensities.

John Stuart Mill

Police, Humanity, Liberty

John Stuart Mill (2012). “On Liberty”, p.71, Courier Corporation

What citizens of a free country would listen to any offers of good and skillful administration in return for the abdication of freedom?

John Stuart Mill

Country, Liberty, Citizens

John Stuart Mill (1870). “The Subjection of Women ... Third Edition”, p.180

...there ought to exist the fullest liberty of professing and discussing, as a matter of ethical conviction, any doctrine, however immoral it may be considered.

John Stuart Mill

Liberty, Doctrine, May

John Stuart Mill (2008). “Utilitarianism and On Liberty: Including 'Essay on Bentham' and Selections from the Writings of Jeremy Bentham and John Austin”, p.99, John Wiley & Sons