John Stuart Mill

John Stuart Mill was born in 1806 in London, died in 1873 in Avignon, France. He was the creator of a reformist concept concerning the interference of the state. The functions of the state should not be restricted to the role of "state-policeman", it should fulfill some role at a point when the competition mechanisms seem to be insufficient to achieve social progress.

Achievements

John Stuart Mill was a highly influential thinker and writer during the 19th century. He made significant contributions in the fields of philosophy, economics, and political science. Some of his notable achievements include:

• Utilitarianism: Mill is considered one of the leading figures of the utilitarian philosophy, which holds that the ultimate aim of human action should be the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.
• Political Philosophy: Mill's work on individual liberty and democracy, particularly his book "On Liberty," had a profound impact on the development of liberal political thought. He argued that the role of the state should be limited and that individuals should have the freedom to make their own choices, as long as they do not harm others.
• Economic Thought: Mill was a proponent of laissez-faire economics and advocated for minimal government intervention in economic affairs. He also wrote extensively on issues related to international trade and the organization of labor.
• Writing and Journalism: Mill was a prolific writer, who wrote on a wide range of topics, including philosophy, economics, politics, and literature. He also contributed to several newspapers and journals, and helped establish the Westminster Review, an influential journal of liberal thought.
• Social Reform: Mill was an advocate for women's rights and worked to promote the education and social advancement of women. He also supported the abolition of slavery and advocated for the rights of workers and minorities.

Social progress

Mill was of the opinion that the main aim of human activity should be the continuation of social progress, not the search for progress at any cost. Mill defines the progress in terms of the increase of knowledge, better protection of citizens and property, the changes to the tax system, the avoidance of war and the more effective employment of the citizens, among others.

Connection capital - Labour

The progress has an influence on the development of a society, which is not based on the conflict of interests between social groups, but on the "joint benefits". It can be achieved by strong social mobility, which could enable the labourer to become an employer; and in particular by the phenomenon, which is currently called the connection capital-labour (Mill wrote about the association of labourers and employers).

Major works

• Essays on some usettled questions of political economy (1844)
• Principles of political economy (1848)
• Utilitarianism (1864)
• On liberty (1865)

See also:

• Jean Baptiste Say

John Stuart Mill — recommended articles

Thorstein Veblen — Gary S. Becker — Joseph Stiglitz — Thomas Robert Malthus — Global political economy — Arthur Okun — Etatism — Level of development — Full employment

References

• Mill, J. S. (1865). Principles of political economy: with some of their applications to social philosophy (Vol. 2). Longmans, Green.
• John Stuart Mill @ Wikipedia.

Author: Sławomir Pytel