JOHN STUART MILL

1806-1873

Introduction

Down with Tyranny! Fought against the tyranny of his father’s

utilitarian education The father used Mill as a guinea pig for his theories Forced him to have a nervous breakdown Stunted his emotional development

Mill continued to fight against other types of tyranny throughout his life. Women’s rights, or lack-there-of the loss of individual freedoms in a democratic society

Also reflects on his own inner struggle against a meaningless existence.

Introduction

Attacks the utilitarian’s insistence on rationality: Among the “prime necessities of human well-being,”

is attention to “the internal culture of the individual.” “The cultivation of the feelings became one of the cardinal

points in [Mills]ethical and philosophical creed.”

The importance of individual self-expression and the development of non-quantifiable human qualities are similarly emphasized. “Human nature is not a machine to be built after a model,

and set to do exactly the work prescribed for it, but a tree, which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides, according to the tendency of the inward forces which make it a living thing,”

Subjection of Women

Theme: The subordination of women to men is a barbaric, outmoded practice.

Mill’s argument is fairly straightforward, Focus on the radical nature of his

statements especially in comparing marriage to slavery.

Subjection of Women

Mill likens marriage to slavery: Similar view to the Romantic-era philosophers before him

I.e: Mary Wollstonecraft Women are “compelled” into marriage:

“alleged natural vocation,” Their culture feels it is a woman’s duty and they have

internalized this belief to some extent. “all other doors” are closed against them.

The “clue to the feelings of those men, who have a real antipathy to the equal freedom of women,” fear that if given the opportunity to support themselves, “all

women of spirit and capacity should prefer doing almost anything else” than “degrading” themselves through marriage.