General Introduction

• John Stuart Mill (1806-73) was a British philosopher, economist, and statesman who contributed to logic, ethics, politics, economics, and metaphysics.
• He was the son of James Mill (1773-1836), a friend and follower of Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), the founder of Utilitarianism.
• Mill was educated by his father with help from Francis Place and Jeremy Bentham.
• He became the intellectual leader of the philosophical radicals, who aimed to apply utilitarianism practically in law, economics, and politics.
• James Mill was also a leading figure among philosophical radicals.
• John Stuart Mill was a brilliant and disciplined student.
• After education, he secured a prestigious, well-paid position in the East India Company.
• He was also engaged in extensive economic and political writing.
• Upon retirement, Mill became a member of the House of Commons.
• Though an adherent of utilitarianism, Mill became disillusioned with some practical implications of Bentham’s philosophy.
• He developed utilitarianism in many directions, enriching the liberal tradition of political thought.
• Mill lived in an age of rising democracy, different from Bentham’s focus on law and administration.
• He was influenced by Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America (1835-40), which identified pitfalls of democracy that impressed Mill.
• Mill understood that government is complex and only qualified persons should govern.
• He argued that the political system should respond to the expressed wants of the people and public officials should serve society’s needs.
• Mill was a strong champion of liberty, which is the keynote of liberalism.
• The theme of liberty runs through his political thought, including his revision of utilitarianism, critique of democracy, defense of the welfare state, and campaign against the subjection of women.
• Important works by Mill include:
  • System of Logic (1843)
  • Principles of Political Economy (1848)
  • On Liberty (1859)
  • Considerations on Representative Government (1861)
  • Utilitarianism (1863)
  • The Subjection of Women (1869).