John Stuart Mill
1806 – 1873 English philosopher, economist
The great liberal philosopher of liberty and utilitarian ethics.
- Religion
- Raised without religion by his father, he remained an agnostic who judged doctrines by their human consequences.
- Affiliations
- Member of Parliament; official of the East India Company. No secret society.
Mill refined utilitarianism, the idea that actions are right as they promote happiness, and defended individual freedom in On Liberty. He argued for free speech, women's rights, and representative government. His work remains central to liberal political thought.
In the timeline
- 1859 Publication of On Liberty mentioned
- 1859 Mill's On Liberty and the marketplace of ideas mentioned