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Very Short Introductions #696
John Stuart Mill: A Very Short Introduction
Very Short Introductions : Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring
John Stuart Mill (1806-73) is widely regarded as the leading liberal philosopher, economist, and political theorist of nineteenth century Britain. In his lifetime he was best known for his System of Logic (1843) and the Principles of Political Economy (1848). Today Mill is chiefly identified with On Liberty (1859), perhaps the definitive text of modern liberal statement of its subject, and probably the single most important work of modern political thought. Mill was also the first major male feminist thinker of the period (author of The Subjection of Women , 1869), and the first, as an MP, to introduce a bill for female enfranchisement before Parliament.
This Very Short Introduction offers a brief survey of the life and key ideas of this most influential Victorian British writer. Moving chronologically, Gregory Claeys outlines the philosophical background out of which Mill developed, chiefly through the ideas of Jeremy Bentham and James Mill. He demonstrates how Mill's personal life, especially his 'mental crisis' of 1827, and his relationship with Harriet Taylor, were integral to his intellectual development. Throughout Claeys considers Mill's key works set within the context of his lesser writings and correspondence, and discusses the more controversial aspects of his thought concerning religion, secularism, and birth control.
ABOUT THE The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
John Stuart Mill (1806-73) is widely regarded as the leading liberal philosopher, economist, and political theorist of nineteenth century Britain. In his lifetime he was best known for his System of Logic (1843) and the Principles of Political Economy (1848). Today Mill is chiefly identified with On Liberty (1859), perhaps the definitive text of modern liberal statement of its subject, and probably the single most important work of modern political thought. Mill was also the first major male feminist thinker of the period (author of The Subjection of Women , 1869), and the first, as an MP, to introduce a bill for female enfranchisement before Parliament.
This Very Short Introduction offers a brief survey of the life and key ideas of this most influential Victorian British writer. Moving chronologically, Gregory Claeys outlines the philosophical background out of which Mill developed, chiefly through the ideas of Jeremy Bentham and James Mill. He demonstrates how Mill's personal life, especially his 'mental crisis' of 1827, and his relationship with Harriet Taylor, were integral to his intellectual development. Throughout Claeys considers Mill's key works set within the context of his lesser writings and correspondence, and discusses the more controversial aspects of his thought concerning religion, secularism, and birth control.
ABOUT THE The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
131 pages, Paperback
First published May 24, 2022
8 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Claeys
85 books24 followersGregory Claeys was born in France and educated in Canada and the United Kingdom. He has taught in Germany and the United States and is now Professor of the History of Political Thought at Royal Holloway, University of London.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 30, 2022
I’m always reading about the work and idea os John Stuart Mill in various books on philosophy and politics, but I knew little to nothing about him. As I was browsing new releases the other day, I came across this one and decided to check it out. This book lives up to the title and gives a fantastic introduction to the work of John Stuart Mill. I always worry that books like this are going to be a bunch of confusing quotes from 150 years ago, but the author did a fantastic job explaining Mill’s ideas, what was going on at the time, and how his ideas were received. And throughout the book, there was a bit about Mill’s life as well, which was pretty cool.
I definitely recommend this book if you’re interested in learning morea bout Mill. But, I must say, as an audio listener, the narrator made this book extremely difficult to listen to. He had a strange cadence to his voice that drove me nuts and made it difficult to focus on the content. Other than that, fantastic book. So, if you read physical copies, you don’t have to worry about that.
I definitely recommend this book if you’re interested in learning morea bout Mill. But, I must say, as an audio listener, the narrator made this book extremely difficult to listen to. He had a strange cadence to his voice that drove me nuts and made it difficult to focus on the content. Other than that, fantastic book. So, if you read physical copies, you don’t have to worry about that.
January 20, 2024
Some of the 'very short introduction' books miss the mark. This one does not!
Well edited, right amount of detail, good balance of opinions on JSM
Well edited, right amount of detail, good balance of opinions on JSM
May 20, 2024
Excellent summary.
December 11, 2024
The historian Gregory Claeys published a biography of English Philosopher John Stuart Mill in 2022. The book has illustrations. The book has a section for “further reading” (Claeys 121-126). The book is an index. I learned a lot from Claeys’ book. I did not know much about Mill’s writing before writing this book. Claeys writes, “We return to Mill today, then, chiefly for his accounts of liberty, utilitarianism, and feminism” (Mill 117). I found Claeys’ views on the writing of Mill on colonialism, especially in India, interesting. The first chapter is about Mill’s early life. The second chapter is on Mill’s writing between 1835 and 1845. The third chapter is on Mill’s writing between 1845 and 1859. Chapter 4 is in Mill’s book On Liberty, written in 1859. Chapter 5 is on Mill’s later writings from between 1861 and 1879. Mill died on May 7, 1873 (Claeys 111). Chapter 5 also includes a section on “Mill’s reputation "as a philosopher (Claeys 111-113). The last chapter is on Mill’s legacy in the early 21st Century. Claeys writes Mill has “a rich and provocative legacy to ponder on” (Claeys 119). I read the book on my Kindle. Mill Claeys' biography is a well-done short book about the ideas of John Stuart Mill.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews