Free Expression and Dissent

POSTED BY: Causal
UPDATED: Friday, March 2, 2007 15:35
VIEWED: 714
PAGE 1 of 1

CAUSAL

Friday, March 2, 2007 3:13 PM

John Stuart Mill, from On Liberty:

"If all mankind, minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary 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. Were an opinion a personal possession of no value except to the owner; if to be obstructed in the enjoyment of it were simply a private injury, it would make some difference whether the injury was inflicted only on a few persons or on many. But 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."

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CHRISISALL

Friday, March 2, 2007 3:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Causal:
"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."

Very cool.

Chrisisall

GEEZER

Friday, March 2, 2007 3:29 PM

...unless they're a troll. Right, Citizen?

"Keep the Shiny side up"

KANEMAN

Friday, March 2, 2007 3:35 PM

Wasn't it his main point that the individual has liberty of thought. And should be encouraged to express it orally or in writing. That how it was perceived would depend mostly on the sect of society receiving it and its level of civility.