James Mill > Quotes

“Rousseau confessed to Mr. Hume, and Mr. Hume repeated the conversation to Mr. Burke, that the secret of which he availed himself in his writings to excite the attention of mankind, was the employment of paradoxes. When a proposition is so expressed as to bear the appearance of absurdity, but by certain reasonings and explanations is made to assume the semblance of truth, the inexperienced hearers are, in general, wonderfully delighted, give credit to the author for the highest ingenuity, and congratulate themselves on a surprising discovery.”
― James Mill, The Works of James Mill: Colony, Education, Government, Jurisprudence, Law Of Nations, Libery Of The Press and More

“Upon the right constitution of checks all goodness of government depends.”
― James Mill, An Essay on Govenment