“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.”
- John Stuart Mill, Philosopher and Political Economist
🧠 Who was John Stuart Mill?
- Lived: 1806-1873
- Known as: Philosopher, Economist, and Civil Libertarian
- Famous for:
- Advocating for individual liberty, freedom of speech, and utilitarian ethics
- Authoring On Liberty, which addresses the importance of personal freedom and the harm principle
- Supporting women's rights, including the right to vote and education
- Contributions:
- Played a central role in the development of liberal political philosophy
- Promoted the idea that actions should be judged by their consequences and the greatest happiness principle
- A leading figure in the 19th-century intellectual movement that shaped modern thought on civil rights, liberty, and democracy
The quote speaks to Mill's view on moral responsibility and the importance of action.
It suggests that inaction can be just as harmful as direct harm, implying that we are all accountable for the consequences of our decisions, whether through action or inaction. Mill believed in the harm principle, which asserts that individuals should be free to do as they wish, as long as their actions do not harm others.
In other words:
- We are morally responsible not just for what we do, but for what we fail to do.
- Indifference in the face of suffering can be as damaging as causing harm directly.
Mill's insight highlights the ethical obligation to act against injustice, stressing that moral responsibility goes beyond active wrongdoing to include the consequences of inaction.