On Liberty

by

John Stuart Mill

Tyranny of the majority Term Analysis

Mill believes that there are two major forms of tyranny: political tyranny (as when a political leader takes too much control over individual lives of the citizens of the state) and social tyranny, which he calls “tyranny of the majority.” Mill admits that even when the political leaders of a state allow its citizens the right amount of individual liberty, society can still become a tyrant over itself. Mill explains, “The will of the people […] practically means the will of the most numerous or the most active part of the people,” which emphasizes the fact that the actions of even the most democratic government only reflect the “will” of the politically active citizens, while those in the minority are forced to abide by these decisions. This illustrates the political element of the tyranny of the majority. Furthermore, the tyranny of the majority extends beyond politics—society, according to Mill, punishes its members for breeching custom or violating the opinions and beliefs of the majority (or at least those recognized as the majority), making it more insidious and difficult to protect oneself against than political oppression. Socially speaking, the tyranny of the majority forces people to conform to general expectation rather than freely and naturally developing one’s individuality, which Mill believes is the most serious crime committed by society against individuals. According to Mill, it is vital for society to define the limits that public opinion should have over individual lives so it can, in essence, protect itself from itself by preventing the tyranny of the majority.

Tyranny of the majority Quotes in On Liberty

The On Liberty quotes below are all either spoken by Tyranny of the majority or refer to Tyranny of the majority. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 1 Quotes

The ‘people’ who exercise the power are not always the same people with those over whom it is exercised; and the ‘self-government’ spoken of is not the government of each by himself, but of each by all the rest. The will of the people, moreover, practically means the will of the most numerous or the most active part of the people; the majority, or those who succeed in making themselves accepted as the majority; the people, consequently, may desire to oppress a part of their number; and precautions are as much needed against this as against any other abuse of power.

Related Characters: John Stuart Mill (speaker)
Page Number: 10
Explanation and Analysis:

Society can and does execute its own mandates: and if it issues wrong mandates instead of right, or any mandates at all in things with which it ought not to meddle, it practices a social tyranny more formidable than many kinds of political oppression, since, thought not usually upheld by such extreme penalties, it leaves fewer means of escape, penetrating much more deeply into the details of life, and enslaving the soul itself. Protection, therefore, against the tyranny of the magistrate is not enough: there needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling; against the tendency of society to impose, by other means than civil penalties, its own ideas and practices as rules of conduct on those who dissent from them; to fetter the development, and, if possible, prevent the formation, of any individuality not in harmony with its ways, and compel all characters to fashion themselves upon the model of its own.

Related Characters: John Stuart Mill (speaker)
Page Number: 10-11
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

In our times, from the highest class of society down to the lowest, every one lives as under the eye of a hostile and dreaded censorship. Not only in what concerns others, but in what concerns only themselves, the individual or the family do not ask themselves—what do I prefer? or, what would suit my character and disposition? […] They ask themselves, what is suitable to my position? what is usually done by persons of my station and pecuniary circumstances? or (worse still) what is usually done by persons of a station and circumstances superior to mine? I do not mean that they choose what is customary, in preference to what suits their own inclination. It does not occur to them to have any inclination, except for what is customary. Thus the mind itself is bowed to the yoke: even in what people do for pleasure, conformity is the first thing thought of; they like in crowds; they exercise choice only among things commonly done: peculiarity of taste, eccentricity of conduct, are shunned equally with crimes: until by dint of not following their own nature, they have no nature to follow: their human capacities are withered and starved: they become incapable of any strong wishes or native pleasures, and are generally without either opinions or feelings of home growth, or properly their own. Now is this, or is it not, the desirable condition of human nature?

Related Characters: John Stuart Mill (speaker)
Page Number: 70
Explanation and Analysis:

In this age, the mere example of nonconformity, the mere refusal to bend the knee to custom, is itself a service. Precisely because the tyranny of opinion is such as to make eccentricity a reproach, it is desirable, in order to break through that tyranny, that people should be eccentric. Eccentricity has always abounded when and where strength of character has abounded; and the amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigour, and moral courage which it contained. That so few now dare to be eccentric, marks the chief danger of the time.

Related Characters: John Stuart Mill (speaker)
Page Number: 76
Explanation and Analysis:

There is one characteristic of the present direction of public opinion, peculiarly calculated to make it intolerant of any marked demonstration of individuality. The general average of mankind are not only moderate in intellect, but also moderate in inclinations: they have no tastes or wishes strong enough to incline them to do anything unusual, and they consequently do not understand those who have, and class all such with the wild and intemperate whom they are accustomed to look down upon. […] These tendencies of the times cause the public to be more disposed than at most former periods to prescribe general rules of conduct, and endeavor to make every one conform to the approved standard. And that standard, express or tacit, is to be without any marked character; to maim by compression […] every part of human nature which stands out prominently, and tends to make the person markedly dissimilar in outline to commonplace humanity.

Related Characters: John Stuart Mill (speaker)
Page Number: 78-79
Explanation and Analysis:
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Tyranny of the majority Term Timeline in On Liberty

The timeline below shows where the term Tyranny of the majority appears in On Liberty. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: Introductory
Liberty and Authority Theme Icon
Social Tyranny and Custom Theme Icon
...when the government is beholden to the will of the majority. Mill calls this “the tyranny of the majority ” and says the concept is generally considered a problem that society must protect itself... (full context)
Liberty and Authority Theme Icon
Social Tyranny and Custom Theme Icon
Mill writes that the tyranny of the majority was initially dreaded on political grounds. Mill argues, however, that when society is the tyrant,... (full context)