James Mill quotes

James Mill was a Scottish historian, economist, political theorist, and philosopher. He played a significant role in shaping utilitarian philosophy and the study of political economy. He influenced generations of thinkers, including his son John Stuart Mill. Here are 15 of his quotes:

Whenever the powers of government are placed in any hands other than those of the community, whether those of one man, of a few, or of several, those principles of human nature which imply that government is at all necessary, imply that those persons will make use of them to defeat the very end for which government exists. (James Mill)
The government and the people are under a moral necessity of acting together; a free press compels them to bend to one another. View quote
James Mill
No good government can ever want more than two things for its support: 1st, Its own excellence; and, 2dly, a people sufficiently instructed, to be aware of that excellence. Every other pretended support, must ultimately tend to its subversion, by lessening its dependence upon these. View quote
James Mill
Of the laws of nature, on which the condition of man depends, that which is attended with the greatest number of consequences, is the necessity of labor for obtaining the means of subsistence, as well as the means of the greatest part of our pleasure. View quote
James Mill
Every man should be considered as having a right to the character which he deserves; that is, to be spoken of according to his actions. View quote
James Mill
It cannot be precisely known how any thing is good or bad, till it is precisely known what it is. View quote
James Mill
Exhortations to obstruct the operations of Government in detail, should; Exhortations to resist all. View quote
James Mill
The distinction, between what is done by labour, and what is done by nature, is not always observed. View quote
James Mill
The end of Government has been described in a great variety of expressions. View quote
James Mill
These, and equivalent expressions, are just ; they are only defective, inasmuch as the particular ideas which they embrace are indistinctly announced; and different combinations are by means of them raised indifferent minds, and even in the same mind on different occasions. View quote
James Mill
The question with respect to Government is a question about the adaptation of means to an end. Notwithstanding the portion of discourse which has been bestowed upon this subject, it is surprising to find, upon a close inspection, how few of its principles are settled. (James Mill)
In the employment of labour and machinery, it is often found that the effects can be increased by skilful distribution, by separating all those operations which have any tendency to impede one another, and by bringing together all those operations which can be made in any way to aid one another. View quote
James Mill
This habit of forming opinions, and acting upon them without evidence, is one of the most immoral habits of the mind. ... As our opinions are the fathers of our actions, to be indifferent about the evidence of our opinions is to be indifferent about the consequences of our actions. View quote
James Mill
The distinction, between what is done by labour, and what is done by nature, is not always observed. Labour produces its effects only by conspiring with the laws of nature. It is found that the agency of man can be traced to very simple elements. He does nothing but produce motion. He can move things towards one another, and he can separate them from one another. The properties of matter perform the rest. View quote
James Mill
This habit of forming opinions, and acting upon them without evidence, is one of the most immoral habits of the mind. ... As our opinions are the fathers of our actions, to be indifferent about the evidence of our opinions is to be indifferent about the consequences of our actions. But the consequences of our actions are the good and evil of our fellow-creatures. The habit of the neglect of evidence, therefore, is the habit of disregarding the good and evil of our fellow-creatures. View quote
James Mill