All Minus One Quotes

“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.”
― Richard V. Reeves, All Minus One: John Stuart Mill's Ideas on Free Speech Illustrated

“This mode of thinking makes the justification of restraints on discussion not a question of the truth of doctrines, but of their usefulness; and flatters itself by that means to escape the responsibility of claiming to be an infallible judge of opinions.”
― Jonathan Haidt, All Minus One: John Stuart Mill's Ideas on Free Speech

“To refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is the same thing as absolute certainty. All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility”
― Jonathan Haidt, All Minus One: John Stuart Mill's Ideas on Free Speech

“Mill believed the pursuit of truth required the collation and combination of ideas and propositions, even those that seem to be in opposition to each other. He urged us to allow others to speak-and then to listen to them- for three main reasons:

First, the other person's idea, however controversial it seems today, might turn out to be right. ("The opinion may possibly be true.")

Second, even if our opinion is largely correct, we hold it more rationally and securely as a result of being challenged. ("He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that.")

Third, and in Mill's view most likely, opposing views may each contain a portion of the truth, which need to be combined. ("Conflicting doctrines share the truth between them.")”
― Richard V. Reeves, All Minus One: John Stuart Mill's Ideas on Free Speech Illustrated

“The right to provoke, offend, and shock lies at the core of the First Amendment. This is particularly so on college campuses. Intellectual advancement has traditionally progressed through discord and dissent, as a diversity of views ensures that ideas survive because they are correct, not because they are popular.”
― Richard V. Reeves, All Minus One: John Stuart Mill's Ideas on Free Speech Illustrated

“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...”
― Richard V. Reeves, All Minus One: John Stuart Mill's Ideas on Free Speech Illustrated