Political Economy, in truth, has never pretended to give advice to mankind with no lights but its own; though people who knew nothing but political economy (and therefore knew it ill) have taken upon themselves to advise, and could only do so by such lights as they had.
Interpretation
Political economy often claims to offer guidance, but its insight is limited and should not be misused by those lacking deeper understanding.
John Stuart Mill emphasizes that political economy does not genuinely provide comprehensive advice for human behavior based solely on its principles. Instead, those who mistakenly rely solely on a superficial understanding of political economy to guide their advice do so with a limited perspective, potentially leading to misguided conclusions. This highlights the importance of critical thinking and the need for a broader understanding when offering advice.
In practice
In a speech about economic policy reforms, referencing this quote can highlight the need for better understanding before offering advice.
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.
As for charity, it is a matter in which the immediate effect on the persons directly concerned, and the ultimate consequence to the general good, are apt to be at complete war with one another.
To think that because those who wield power in society wield in the end that of government, therefore it is of no use to attempt to influence the constitution of the government by acting on opinion, is to forget that opinion is itself one of the greatest active social forces. One person with a belief is a social power equal to ninety-nine who have only interests.
There should be perfect freedom, legal and social, to do the action and stand the consequences. It would be a great misunderstanding of this doctrine to suppose that it is one of selfish indifference, which pretends that human beings have no business with each other's conduct in life, and that they should not concern themselves about the well-doing or well-being of one another, unless their own interest is involved.
Marriage is the only actual bondage known to our law. There remain no legal slaves, except the mistress of every house.
Persons of genius are, ex vi termini, more individual than any other people - less capable, consequently, of fitting themselves, without hurtful compression, into any of the small number of moulds which society provides in order to save its members the trouble of forming their character.
It comes down to this: black people were stripped of our identities when we were brought here, and it's been a quest since then to define who we are.
No reference is truly direct β every reference depends on some kind of coding scheme. It's just a question of how implicit it is.
It is impossible to found a civilization on fear and hatred and cruelty. It would never endure.' 'Why not?' 'It would have no vitality. It would disintegrate. It would commit suicide.
Our country is slowly but surely moving - and I've seen it over and over again in many instances in government - toward a culture of mediocrity.
It is by all odds the loftiest of cities. It even managed to reach the highest point in the sky at the lowest moment of the depression.
We need myths that will identify the individual not with his local group but with the planet.
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