John Stuart Mill, a philosopher dubbed “the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century”
John Stuart Mill (May 20, 1806 – May 8, 1873) was an English philosopher, political economist and civil servant.
- One of the most influential thinkers in the history of liberalism, he contributed widely to social theory, political theory and political economy.
- Dubbed “the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century”, Mill’s conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state and social control.
- Mill was a proponent of utilitarianism, an ethical theory developed by his predecessor Jeremy Bentham, and contributed significantly to the theory of the scientific method.
- A member of the Liberal Party, he was also the first Member of Parliament to call for women’s suffrage.