Mill, John Stuart

born May 20, 1806, died May 8, 1873

The most influential British social and political thinker of the mid-Victorian period, left a permanent imprint on philosophy through his restatements of the principles underlying philosophical empiricism and utilitarianism. As a defender of individual liberty against state interference, and as an early advocate of women's equality, Mill continues to be of major significance.

The son of philosopher James Mill, John Stuart was early introduced to the Philosophical Radicals, or Benthamites, who actively pursued various social and political reforms along the utilitarian lines laid down by Jeremy Bentham.

Encyclopedia Britannica
Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Grolier, Inc., 2001.