James Mill: A Biography

Who was James Mill (1773-1836)? What was his legacy to British society and culture? The achievement of this Scottish-born political philosopher, economist and historian has been overshadowed by that of his son, John Stuart Mill, but as Alexander Bain (1818-1903), himself a philosopher and empiricist, shows in this biography, published in 1882, Mill’s range of interests was remarkable. He wrote on education and psychology, and developed theories on political economy and the need for parliamentary reform. Mill was also critical of the history of British colonialism (his three-volume History of India is reissued in this series), and argued for religious tolerance, as well as collaborating with Jeremy Bentham as a proponent of utilitarianism, the philosophy which sought ‘the greatest happiness of the greater number’. Bain places the facts of Mill’s life in the context of the remarkable changes undergone by British society and culture in this period.