“It often happens that the universal belief of one age, a belief
from which no one was free or could be free without an extraordinary
effort of genius or courage, becomes to a subsequent age, so
palpable an absurdity, that the only difficulty is to imagine how
such an idea could ever have appeared credible.”
John Stuart Mill (1806–1873)
English author, philosopher and economist
John Stuart Mill, who was born in London, began to study Greek when
he was only three years old. By the time he was fourteen, he had
mastered Latin, classical literature, logic, political economy, history,
and mathematics.
At the age of seventeen, after completing courses in law and
philosophy, he became a clerk in the East India Company. After
thirty-five years’ service, during which he rose to head of his
department, he retired on pension. He was a Member of Parliament for the
next four years.
Mills was one of the most advanced thinkers of his time, the
Victorian Age. His greatest contribution to philosophy, and his chief
work, was his System of Logic, which ranks with
Aristotle’s work in that field. At the age of twenty Mill was recognized
as leader of the utilitarian school, and founded a utilitarian society.
From 1835 to 1840 Mill was editor of the Westminster Review. In his
great work, Principles of Political Economy, he applied
economic principles to social conditions. His works include
Utilitarianism; On Education; On Liberty, which is
considered the classic statement of political thinking in a highly
civilized community; and his Autobiography, published
after his death.
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