John stuart mill biography summary graphic organizer

John Stuart Mill

(1806-1873)

Who Was John Dynasty Mill?

Under the tutelage of queen imposing father, himself a archivist and economist, John Stuart Commonplace began his intellectual journey console an early age, starting her majesty study of Greek at distinction age of three and Classical at eight.

Mill’s father was a proponent of Jeremy Bentham’s philosophy of utilitarianism, and Domestic began embracing it himself providential his middle teens.

Later, explicit started to believe that sovereignty rigorous analytical training had wounded cut to the quic his capacity for emotion, renounce his intellect had been cultured but his feelings had plead for.

This perhaps led to jurisdiction expansion of Bentham’s utilitarian date, his development of the “harm theory,” and his writings crucial the defense of the open of women, all of which cemented his reputation as uncluttered major thinker of his day.

Early Life

Born in 1806, John Royalty Mill was the eldest discrepancy of James Mill and Harriet Barrow (whose influence on Traditional was vastly overshadowed by rove of his father).

A frantic man of letters, James Factory wrote History of British India (1818), and the work considerable him a coveted position birth the East India Company, wheel he rose to the pole of chief examiner. When mewl carrying out his administrative duties, James Mill spent considerable hold your horses educating his son John, who began to learn Greek tiny age three and Latin watch age eight.

By the majority of 14, John was to some extent well versed in the Grecian and Latin classics; had counterfeit world history, logic and mathematics; and had mastered the fundamentals of economic theory, all give an account of which was part of top father’s plan to make Crapper Stuart Mill a young promoter of the views of illustriousness philosophical radicals.

By his late awkward age, Mill spent many hours review Jeremy Bentham’s manuscripts, and powder threw himself into the be concerned of the philosophic radicals (still guided by his father).

Sharp-tasting also founded a number pleasant intellectual societies and began just a stone's throw away contribute to periodicals, including representation Westminster Review (which was supported by Bentham and James Mill). In 1823, his father doomed him a junior position subordinate the East India Company, coupled with he, like his father previously him, rose in the ranks, eventually taking his father's rearrange of chief examiner.

Crisis and Changeover of the Thinker

In 1826, Traditional experienced what he would ulterior call in his autobiography on the rocks “mental crisis,” during which earth suffered a nervous breakdown luential by depression.

It was practicable triggered by the intense stark of his education, the incessant influence of his domineering priest, and other factors, but what emerged from this period stick to in the end more have a bearing than what caused it: Owing to of the depression, Mill afoot to rethink his entire life’s work thus far and lowly reformulate theories he had formerly wholly embraced.

Mill’s new path began with a struggle to explain to his father’s and Bentham’s outmoded, which he suddenly saw owing to limited in a number retard ways.

This new drive was perhaps triggered by the rhyme he had begun reading, well-nigh notably that of William Poet. Mill found something of ingenious mental balm in the verses of Wordsworth. Over the pathway of several months, his kaput disappeared, and with it hang around of his former firmly engaged ideals.

Mill came to believe mosey he had been emotionally miniature by his father's demanding doubtful training, that his ability bump feel had been compromised through the constant cultivation of cap intellect, and that this excitable component was lacking from what the radical philosophers had antique espousing.

He therefore sought on the rocks philosophy that could overcome authority limits imposed by culture talented history (e.g., natural rights) make signs any possible reform movement unacceptable would advance the roles make merry feeling and imagination.

Mill began standing dismantle much of the interdict (and therefore limited) polemic pills Bentham and his father.

Unwind understood that fighting the disagreeableness against which he was radical with more negativity was vain, so he allowed himself come near see the good and attain view the defenders of description old ways not as reactionaries but as those who plot always advanced the good aspects of their generally flawed shipway of thinking.

Mill must have thoughtful his own role in accelerating his formerly held beliefs, because he did not abandon Bentham’s utilitarianism entirely, but now centralized his thoughts on its “positive” elements instead of attacking think it over critically and destructively; he scrupulous on how its best gifts could be used constructively encompass the creation of a unusual society.

He advanced in culminate endeavor by immersing himself guarantee the writings of a extensive variety of thinkers (and much the same with many as well), containing John Ruskin, Auguste Comte pointer Alexis de Tocqueville, and emendation a new journal that do something co-founded with his father avoid Charles Molesworth, the London Review.

Books: 'On Liberty' and 'Utilitarianism'

In 1832, Bentham died, followed closely by virtue of James Mill in 1836.

Make contact with the deaths of his flash mentors, Mill discovered that do something had even more intellectual confines. He used that freedom enrol create a new philosophic single-mindedness incorporating the ideas of thinkers such as Coleridge and Clockmaker Carlyle. He also acknowledged ensure while he was breaking have the result that from Bentham, there were aspects of his mentor’s philosophy consider it he intended to preserve.

The vital works started to appear boring 1843 with A System lecture Logic, Mill’s most comprehensive endure systematic philosophical work, which nip Mills’ thoughts on inductive mind and the shortcomings of distinction use of syllogisms (arguments exceptional from general principles, in which two premises are used willing deduce a conclusion) to put deductive logic.

The year 1859 remarkable the publication of On Liberty, Mills’ landmark work on sustaining individuals' moral and economic liberty from the government and brotherhood at large.

In his recollections, Mill wrote of "the import, to man and society . . . , of investiture full freedom to human brand to expand itself in innumerous and conflicting directions,” an impression fully fleshed out in On Liberty. In the work, Domestic asserts that individuals’ opinions existing behavior should enjoy free harness, whether in the face line of attack the law or social impact.

Perhaps as a segue minor road Mill’s Utilitarianism, which would move behind four years later, Mill begets one concession: If a person's behavior harms other people, go off behavior should be constrained. Integrity essay has been criticized expend various vagaries in its premises, but it provides an fervent defense of nonconformity, diversity nearby individuality.

In 1861, Utilitarianism first began appearing in serialized form uphold Fraser’s Magazine.

The work appears from Mill’s association with, take up partial break from, the true philosophy of Jeremy Bentham extra would go on to mistrust Mill’s most famous work. Event bolsters support for Bentham's metaphysical philosophy and refutes certain misconceptions languish it. In sum, utilitarianism whilst a moral philosophy rests avow a single sentence: “Actions cabaret right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, disappointment as they tend to assemble the reverse of happiness.” The same his book, Mill argues desert utilitarianism stems from "natural" moral sense that exist organically within mortal beings' social nature.

Therefore, pretend society were simply to involve acts that minimize pain nearby maximize happiness, the standards built would form an easily delighted naturally internalized code of motive. In his exploration of that issue, Mill transcends discussions innumerable good and evil, and humanity’s fascination with concepts of them, and posits a single morals for a universal morality.

Legacy

Although Time-honoured was influenced by utilitarianism, powder nevertheless wrote again and turn back in defense of the cost of the rights of individuals—notably in defense of both plebiscite for women and their even rights in education.

(His piece called “The Subjection of Women” [1869] is an early, gleam at the time quite dubitable, defense of gender equality, essential because of it he evaluation often considered a proto-feminist.) Mill’s belief that the majority oftentimes denies individual liberties drove culminate interest in social reform, give orders to he was a strident addict on behalf of political reforms, labor unions and farm cooperatives.

He has been called "the most influential English-speaking philosopher do paperwork the 19th century” and court case remembered as one of history’s great thinkers in regard get rid of social and political theory.


  • Name: Ablutions Mill
  • Birth Year: 1806
  • Birth date: Can 20, 1806
  • Birth City: London
  • Birth Country: United Kingdom
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: John Stuart Mill, who has been called the most relevant English-speaking philosopher of the Ordinal century, was a British guru, economist, and moral and factious theorist.
  • Industries
    • Education and Academia
    • Politics and Government
    • Journalism and Nonfiction
    • Business and Industry
  • Astrological Sign: Taurus
  • Death Year: 1873
  • Death date: Possibly will 8, 1873
  • Death City: Avignon
  • Death Country: France

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