1: A teacher in an age of transition
Mill's Life
Father: James Mill (1773-1836)
Came from a poor background in Scotland and was also a philosopher
Went to University of Edinburgh
Tutor to daughter of Sir John Stuart
JSM born 20/05 1806
James believed in Locke's view of the mind:
The mind is a blank sheet of paper
Ideas are based purely on empiricism and related to one another by associationism
He therefore started JSM on Greek and Arithmetic at the age of 3
JSM did not go to school but learnt from his father
James was acquainted with Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), a utilitarian
JSM was also influenced by David Ricardo (1772-1823)
Suffered a 'mental crisis' at 20
Began to stray away from his father and Bentham after this
JSM was Aristotelian rather than Platonist
(believed that intellectual advance would come not from revisionist theory but from insight gathered systemically from
different perspectives and various sources)
His father chose not to send him to university
Instead JSM studied law under John Austin (1790-1859)
Henceforth he never gave up the greatest happiness principle
He started 'the Utilitarian Society' which met fortnightly for 3 years
He worked in the East India company as had his father until its dissolution in 1858 (he was very efficient at his work and
ranked high in the company)
Involved in the London Debating Society
Married to Harriet Taylor 1858-1858
She had great influence on the direction of his thinking
E.g. The suggestion that he began to tale socialism more seriously
+ her interest in feminism increased his own
Most major publications (although planned while she was alive) look place after her death
In The System of Logic JSM argues that all knowledge is based ultimately on the evidence of the senses.
Something that seems to be a counterexample to this is that 2+3=5; surely its not the case that we only know this by seeing
2 and 3 objects together? Rather, we just know that it could not be otherwise.
Mill would respond that we cannot imagine how it could be otherwise, but that this does not show us that it could not
Mill's election to parliament as a candidate for the working class allowed the intellectual left to combine for the first time
with the working class and played an important part in the foundation of socialism in modern Britain
In the final years of his life Mill pursued botany, and died from a fever in 1873
The Development of Mill's ethics
Utilitarianism, although not as polished as On Liberty or The Subjection of Women, was a summation, and defence of his
thoughts on the doctrine which provided the foundation for his views in other areas.
Mill's Life
Father: James Mill (1773-1836)
Came from a poor background in Scotland and was also a philosopher
Went to University of Edinburgh
Tutor to daughter of Sir John Stuart
JSM born 20/05 1806
James believed in Locke's view of the mind:
The mind is a blank sheet of paper
Ideas are based purely on empiricism and related to one another by associationism
He therefore started JSM on Greek and Arithmetic at the age of 3
JSM did not go to school but learnt from his father
James was acquainted with Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), a utilitarian
JSM was also influenced by David Ricardo (1772-1823)
Suffered a 'mental crisis' at 20
Began to stray away from his father and Bentham after this
JSM was Aristotelian rather than Platonist
(believed that intellectual advance would come not from revisionist theory but from insight gathered systemically from
different perspectives and various sources)
His father chose not to send him to university
Instead JSM studied law under John Austin (1790-1859)
Henceforth he never gave up the greatest happiness principle
He started 'the Utilitarian Society' which met fortnightly for 3 years
He worked in the East India company as had his father until its dissolution in 1858 (he was very efficient at his work and
ranked high in the company)
Involved in the London Debating Society
Married to Harriet Taylor 1858-1858
She had great influence on the direction of his thinking
E.g. The suggestion that he began to tale socialism more seriously
+ her interest in feminism increased his own
Most major publications (although planned while she was alive) look place after her death
In The System of Logic JSM argues that all knowledge is based ultimately on the evidence of the senses.
Something that seems to be a counterexample to this is that 2+3=5; surely its not the case that we only know this by seeing
2 and 3 objects together? Rather, we just know that it could not be otherwise.
Mill would respond that we cannot imagine how it could be otherwise, but that this does not show us that it could not
Mill's election to parliament as a candidate for the working class allowed the intellectual left to combine for the first time
with the working class and played an important part in the foundation of socialism in modern Britain
In the final years of his life Mill pursued botany, and died from a fever in 1873
The Development of Mill's ethics
Utilitarianism, although not as polished as On Liberty or The Subjection of Women, was a summation, and defence of his
thoughts on the doctrine which provided the foundation for his views in other areas.
