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John Stuart Mill's Beginning
John Stuart Mill, son of James Mill and Harriet Barrow, was born on May 20th 1806 in Pentonville London. Due to his father's higher education and being the leader of the group of thinkers known as the "Philosophic Radicals", John was encouraged to be highly educated and motivated in his early childhood. Even as a teenager he was able to educate his younger siblings and began working on treatises of philosophy, psychology and government. -
British East India Company
On his 17th year in May of 1823, by force of his father among other things, John Stuart Mill was employed by the British East India Company and in 1828 he became assistant examiner. Then in 1828 to 1856 he was promoted to chief examiner still under his father's rule until his death in 1856. -
A System of Logic, Ratiocinative and Inductive
In 1843 Mill published his first rendition of "A System of Logic, Ratiocinative and Induction". Here he explains his five principles of inductive reasoning, or Mill's Methods. After discovering Romanticism and reading Whewell and Herschel, Mill finally put together a collection of his viewpoints on the science of human nature to be used as public policy. This was the first piece of work to allow him to step out of his father's shadow and begin to make a name for himself in science. -
John Marries Harriet...Finally
On Easter Monday in 1851, after a long and arduous period of knowing, working with, and loving each other, John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor were finally wed. Mill had idolized Harriet and her ideas since the moment he met her and she in many ways helped and influenced his so much of his work. To Mill, Harriet was epitome of his life even after she died in 1858. -
On Liberty
In 1859, one year after his wife's death, John Stuart Mill wrote "On Liberty". In this philosophical piece of work Mill's explains his ethical system of utilitarianism to society and government, which focuses on the "value of being this way" versus pure experiences. In essence, celebrating and not restricting mankind's character. -
Utilitarianism
In 1863, John Stuart Mill's many expositions were combined to create the book "Utilitarianism". This is one of his last truly great pieces of work. In it he explains what utilitarianism is and why it's ethics are the best according to Mill's. This idea came with much debate and criticism as he believed that happiness is the only thing people should all equally partake in and desire. With these ideas it it helped lead him to calling for women's suffrage and procuring their equal rights. -
Death Becomes Him
In his last years of life, Mill's continued to publish books on many important issues and ideas completing his life's journey as a true author. Notably continuing on the path for equal women's rights in many aspects and contemplating the existence of God. He eventually died on May 7th 1873 from erysipelas, a fever, in his home near his wife's cemetery, who he was buried next to, in Avignon, France. -
Citations
References:
Macleod, Christopher, "John Stuart Mill", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2020/entries/mill/. John Stuart Mill; A Biography by Nicholas Capaldi, 1/12/2004 https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/apus/reader.action?docID=255155 *All images taken from google image search
