Do The Research Before You Write
Michael Tomasky wrote an article in the New York Times telling Democrats how to deal with Republicans. It was featured by Mustang Bobby and Athenae. Tomasky suggested that Republicans had some regard for John Stuart Mill.
The Victorian Web covers one of my favorite quotes from JSM:
In reply to an attack made upon him by Sir John Pakington for calling the Conservative party “the stupid party,” Mill, admitting the phrase to occur in his Representative Government, went on to say, “I never meant to say that the Conservatives are generally stupid. I meant to say that stupid people are generally Conservative. I believe that is so obviously and universally admitted a principle that I hardly think any gentleman will deny it. Suppose any party, in addition to whatever share it may possess of the ability of the community, has nearly the whole of its stupidity, that party must, by the law of its constitution, be the stupidest party; and I do not see why honorable gentlemen should see that position at all offensive to them, for it ensures their being always an extremely powerful party.
Mill also favored women’s suffrage, which is not exactly in favor with the current Republican Party.
BTW, the link to Considerations on Representative Government is to Gutenberg so you can read it for yourself to see if there is any intersection between J.S. Mill and Republicans.
October 18, 2020 11 Comments
