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He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that.

John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, 1859

Philosophy

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John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) was an English philosopher and economist who later sat in Parliament. On Liberty, published in 1859 and dedicated to his late wife and collaborator Harriet Taylor Mill, argues that society may limit a person's freedom only to prevent harm to others. This line comes from its second chapter, on freedom of thought and discussion. Mill points to the Roman orator Cicero, who said he studied his opponent's case as hard as his own, or harder. Anyone who cannot answer the other side's reasons, Mill argues, has no real grounds for preferring their own view. Nor is it enough to hear opposing arguments as summarised by one's own teachers: they must be heard from people who actually believe them and defend them in earnest.

Türkçe oku
Bir meselenin yalnızca kendi tarafını bilen kişi, o taraf hakkında da az şey bilir.
John Stuart Mill, Özgürlük Üzerine, 1859

John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) İngiliz filozof ve iktisatçıydı; sonradan milletvekili de oldu. Özgürlük Üzerine 1859'da yayımlandı; Mill kitabı bir yıl önce ölen eşi ve fikir ortağı Harriet Taylor Mill'e adadı. Kitaba göre toplum, bir kişinin özgürlüğünü ancak başkalarına zarar vermesini önlemek için kısıtlayabilir. Bu cümle, düşünce ve tartışma özgürlüğünü ele alan ikinci bölümdedir. Mill, rakibinin davasını kendi davası kadar, hatta ondan da çok incelediğini söyleyen Romalı hatip Cicero'yu örnek gösterir. Ona göre karşı tarafın gerekçelerini yanıtlayamayan birinin kendi görüşünü tercih etmek için sağlam bir dayanağı yoktur. Karşıt görüşleri kendi hocalarının özetinden dinlemek de yetmez; onlara gerçekten inanan ve onları içtenlikle savunan insanlardan duymak gerekir.

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