John Stuart Mill

Paper Summary:

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was a leading British philosopher and economist who left a great impact on the 19th century Western thought in areas as diverse as philosophy, economics, political science, logic and ethics. Mill has left behind several writings on society, politics, ethics, logic, and religion besides economics. This paper includes brief biographical information about Mills and examines his contribution to economics as well as his economic theories.

From the Paper:

"John Stuart Mills, the eldest son of James Mills (a follower of the Utilitarian philosophy of Jeremy Bentham), was born in London on May 20, 1806. He was given an unusually early and rigorous education by his father and deliberately shielded from boys of a similar age, intended to instill intellectual discipline in the young boy. His education began with the study of Greek at the age of three and by time he was 17 Mill had completed advanced courses in Greek literature, chemistry, botany, psychology, and law. ("John Stuart Mill"-Encarta) He grew up a convinced Utilitarian like his father but suffered a nervous breakdown at the young age of 20 that convinced him that there was more to life than the philosophy of Bentham. It was then that he started to study the works of Coleridge, Wordsworth, and Goethe and proceeded to theories that develop that emphasized a scientific approach to understanding social, political and economic change while incorporating the insights of poets and other imaginative writers. (Mautner) His intellectual relationship with Mrs. Taylor (who he late married after the death of her husband) also helped him to climb out of his mental despair that had, in part, been brought about by his overly strict education and severe physical and mental strain."

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