John Stuart Mill Bust: 10 Authentic Quotes from the Liberal Philosopher

A classic John Stuart Mill bust honors the profound thinker whose ideas on individual liberty, utilitarianism, and social reform shaped modern philosophy and politics. Sculptures like Thomas Woolner's bronze on the Victoria Embankment in London stand as tributes to his legacy. Below are 10 verified quotes from Mill, sourced from public domain editions of his works on Project Gutenberg and the scholarly Online Library of Liberty.

1. "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." — Project Gutenberg (On Liberty, 1859)
2. "Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing." — Online Library of Liberty (Inaugural Address at the University of St. Andrews, 1867)
3. "The amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigor, and moral courage which it contained." — Project Gutenberg (On Liberty, 1859)
4. "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse." — Online Library of Liberty (The Contest in America, 1862)
5. "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." — Project Gutenberg (On Liberty, 1859)
6. "The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people." — Project Gutenberg (On Liberty, 1859)
7. "It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied." — Project Gutenberg (Utilitarianism, 1863)
8. "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." — Project Gutenberg (On Liberty, 1859)
9. "Whatever crushes individuality is despotism, by whatever name it may be called." — Project Gutenberg (On Liberty, 1859)
10. "Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the opposite of happiness." — Project Gutenberg (Utilitarianism, 1863)

These quotes highlight Mill's enduring defense of liberty, individuality, and moral progress—making a John Stuart Mill bust a fitting emblem of enlightened thought.

For full primary texts, explore Project Gutenberg (John Stuart Mill works) or the Online Library of Liberty Collected Works.