(John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, 1859)
That mankind are not infallible; that their truths, for the most part, are only half-truths; that unity of opinion, unless resulting from the fullest and freest comparison of opposite opinions, is not desirable, and diversity not an evil, but a good, until mankind are much more capable than at present of recognizing all sides of the truth, are principles applicable to men's modes of action, not less than to their opinions. As it is useful that while mankind are imperfect there should be different opinions, so is it that there should be different experiments of living; that free scope should be given to varieties of character, short of injury to others; and that the worth of different modes of life should be proved practically, when any one thinks fit to try them.
人類並非完美無暇；我們所謂的真理，頂多是殘缺不全的；我們所謂的共識，除非是眾多對立意見經過最全面且最公開的討論後所獲得的結論，否則是不足取的，而多元化並非邪惡，反倒是良善的，直到有天人類終能比目前更能認清真理的所有面向為止。以上各項原則，不但適用於人類的意見，也同樣適用於人類的行為。正如由於人類並不完美所以多元意見有其必要，多元化的人生實驗也有其不可或缺之處；各種人格特質皆應獲得自由實現的空間，只要其發展不會對他人帶來傷害；而當有人試圖嘗試不同的人生模式時，其價值也應得到實質上的認肯。
Bod Dylan, Blowin' in the Wind, 1962
Leslie Pintchik Quartet
