Difference between revisions of "John Stuart Mill"
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'''John Stuart Mill''' (1806-1873) was the last of the English classical economists. | '''John Stuart Mill''' (1806-1873) was the last of the English classical economists. | ||
Revision as of 13:34, April 1, 2007
John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was the last of the English classical economists.
Homeschooled in an atheistic way by his father, Mill supported laissez-faire but with social reforms like redistribution of wealth, shorter working days, and regulation of monopolies. Today he would be called a "moderate conservative" due to his support of some government controls over the economy. Mill was ahead of his time in advocating the development of labor unions and farm cooperatives, and emancipation (voting) by women. He sympathized with the North in the American Civil War. In his book "On Liberty," Mill advocated that "the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others." He advocated freedom of speech, and generally freedom of action too, although he made an exception for the public performance of acts of sexual congress. Mill also advocated utilitarianism, a concept previously proposed by the atheist Jeremy Bentham.
