| John Stuart Mill |
John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) profoundly influenced the shape of nineteenth
century British thought and political discourse. His substantial corpus of
works includes texts in logic, epistemology, economics, social and political
philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, religion, and current affairs. Among his most
well-known and significant are, Principles of Political Economy, On Liberty
and The Subjection of Women. Mill’s education at the hands of his imposing
father, James Mill, fostered both intellectual development (Greek at the age
of three, Latin at eight) and a propensity towards reform. James Mill and
Jeremy Bentham led the “Philosophic Radicals,” who advocated for
rationalization of the law and legal institutions, universal male suffrage, the
use of economic theory in political decision-making, and a politics oriented by
human happiness rather than natural rights or conservatism. On Liberty puts
forward the “harm principle” that “the only purpose for which power can be
rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his
will, is to prevent harm to others.” In The Subjection of Women, contained in
the On Liberty link, he compares the legal status of women to the status of
slaves and argues for equality in marriage and under the law.
century British thought and political discourse. His substantial corpus of
works includes texts in logic, epistemology, economics, social and political
philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, religion, and current affairs. Among his most
well-known and significant are, Principles of Political Economy, On Liberty
and The Subjection of Women. Mill’s education at the hands of his imposing
father, James Mill, fostered both intellectual development (Greek at the age
of three, Latin at eight) and a propensity towards reform. James Mill and
Jeremy Bentham led the “Philosophic Radicals,” who advocated for
rationalization of the law and legal institutions, universal male suffrage, the
use of economic theory in political decision-making, and a politics oriented by
human happiness rather than natural rights or conservatism. On Liberty puts
forward the “harm principle” that “the only purpose for which power can be
rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his
will, is to prevent harm to others.” In The Subjection of Women, contained in
the On Liberty link, he compares the legal status of women to the status of
slaves and argues for equality in marriage and under the law.