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A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 


John Stuart Mill – 30 October 2008
By Mary T. Hoffman

“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.

For a large collection of quotations, visit: http://www.all-creatures.org/quote.html

Go on to: Senseless Waste – 31 October 2008
Return to: Are Your Donations Cruelty-Free? – 29 October 2008
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