PSC 205 Lecture 11: Mill's Biography
Olivia Pahl
PSC205 – Schutz
2-18-19
Mill’s Biographical Life
• Mill’s father (James Mill) created a model to create a perfectly educated child and implemented
that experiment on John Stewart Mill
o “The result of the experiment is to show how easily this can be done, and shines a
strong light of the wretched waste of precious years…”
▪ Began learning Greek at age of 3 and learning dialogue of Plato in Greek at age 7
▪ Continued his education by learning Latin at the age of 8
• To achieve all of these things mill was isolated from children and struggled with depression
o Believed that his father lacked tenderness but was still grateful to him, however, was
concerned that his education was too severe
▪ Led to a “mid-life crisis” and to him having severe depression
• “I carried it with me to all companies, into all occupations. Hardly
anything had power to cause me to forget it for even a few minutes. For
some months, the cloud seemed to grow thicker and thicker”
• Started working for the British East India Company that governed major parts of India with his
father
o In charge of correspondence of issues between India and Great Britain and had great
power to influence and create policy without ever visiting India
▪ James Mill: “It appears to me that the great concern of the people of India is
that, the business of government should be well and cheaply performed, but
that it is of little or no consequence to them who are the people that perform
it… The thing of importance, in order to elevate the character of ant people is to
protect them. Elevation is the natural state of man who has nothing to fear; and
the best riches are the effects of mans own industry; effects never fail when
protection is good”
• Believed that India doesn’t care who is in charge, they just want to be
enlightened into a better life, like Europe, than they are
▪ JS Mill: Believe that the local practices matter and that the local practices that
work shouldn’t be thrown away to create a rational style British-Clone
• John Stewart Mill was “married to” Harriet Taylor and she was very influential in his work,
especially after her death.
o After Harriet’s death, his views of human nature would change and he would come to
believe that rather than people’s nature for being full of potential for good and bad, that
instead people must conquer not only their nature but nature itself, due to
“wantonness” and “callous indifference”
▪ Before her death, JSM believed that there was a set of moral principles that we
followed and we would tend to do good
Document Summary
Led to a mid-life crisis and to him having severe depression. I carried it with me to all companies, into all occupations. Hardly anything had power to cause me to forget it for even a few minutes. For some months, the cloud seemed to grow thicker and thicker : started working for the british east india company that governed major parts of india with his father. In charge of correspondence of issues between india and great britain and had great power to influence and create policy without ever visiting india. Js mill: believe that the local practices matter and that the local practices that work shouldn"t be thrown away to create a rational style british-clone. Wantonness and callous indifference : before her death, jsm believed that there was a set of moral principles that we followed and we would tend to do good.
