Full Idea
The worth of a State, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it.
Gist of Idea
The worth of a State, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it
Source
John Stuart Mill (On Liberty [1857], Ch.5)
Book Reference
Mill,John Stuart: 'Utilitarianism (including On Liberty etc)', ed/tr. Warnock,Mary [Fontana 1962], p.249
A Reaction
This is a key idea of liberalism, opposed to any idea that we should abandon our own value to that of our state. I agree, but communitarians can subscribe to this too, while disagreeing that maximum freedom is the strategy to follow.