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Married to Harriet Taylor
John Mill and Harriet Taylor had a strong friendship starting in their early 20s. Their relationship was not intimate however, due to Harriet being married. In 1849, Harriet's husband, John Taylor, died. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Harriet Taylor played a significant role in Mill's works and thoughts; citing, Mill himself stating, "my published writings were as much my wife’s work as mine" (Miller 2002) -
On Liberty
Following the death of his beloved wife, Harriet Taylor Mill only after 7 years of marriage, John Mill would continue his work in Philosophy and Literature. Two years after her death, Mill would publish arguably his most revered piece of work, On Liberty. Mill was a strong advocate of individual liberty and outlines his line of thinking in the book. -
Utilitarianism
Another great work of John Mill was Utilitarianism. Mill describes Utilitarianism as, "actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness" (Mill 1861). In essence, this means that all actions people take are done in the hopes of bring happiness to the individual. -
Parliamentary Position
In 1865, John Mill was elected to British Parliament under the Westminster for the Liberal Party. Whilst in office, he brought forth many unpopular views but felt that their importance was substantial at the time (Macleod 2020). Women's suffrage was a major task Mill advocated for. Mill's wife, Harriet, was a staunch supporter of women's suffrage prior to her death and played a significant influence on Mill's ideas on the subject. Ultimately, the proposal was dismissed in the House.
