John Stuart Mill: Life

Question 1

When was Mill born?

Answer 1

He was born in 1806.

Question 2

Who was his father?

Answer 2

His father was James Mill, a philosopher.

Question 3

What did his father make him study at the age of 3?

Answer 3

At the age of 3, his father made him study Greek and Latin.

Question 4

What did his father make him study at the age of 12?

Answer 4

Logic and algebra

Question 5

What did his father make him study at the age of 13?

Answer 5

Politics and Economics

Question 6

Did he have many friends?

Answer 6

No, he did not have many friends.

Question 7

Did he go to university?

Answer 7

He couldn’t go to an English university because he was not a member of the Church of England.

Question 8

What did he do in 1823?

Answer 8

In 1823, he joined the East India Company and worked for them for the next 30 years.

Question 9

What happened in 1826?

Answer 9

In 1826, he had a mental breakdown.

Question 10

How did he recover from his mental breakdown?

Answer 10

His recovery was helped by reading the poetry of William Wordsworth.

Question 11

Who was Mill taught by?

Answer 11

Mill was taught by the great legal philosopher John Austin.

Question 12

Who did Mill’s father introduce to him?

Answer 12

When he was a child, Mill’s father introduced him to Jeremy Bentham.

Question 13

What did Bentham teach Mill?

Answer 13

Bentham taught Mill his version of utilitarianism.

Question 14

What did Bentham argue?

Answer 14

Bentham argued that all laws and morality should be tested to see if they produce the greatest happiness or pleasure.

Question 15

What happened after he recovered from his breakdown?

Answer 15

After he recovered from his breakdown, Mill realised that there are higher pleasures.

Question 16

What did Mill reject?

Answer 16

He rejected Bentham’s idea that humans only seek pleasure.

Question 17

Who did Mill meet in 1830?

Answer 17

In 1830, Mill met Harriet Taylor; the two became close friends.

Question 18

What did Harriet inspire Mill to do?

Answer 18

Harriet inspired Mill to develop his ideas about social reforms.

Question 19

Who did Hume marry in 1851?

Answer 19

In 1851, he married Harriet after her husband died.

Question 20

When did Harriet die?

Answer 20

In 1858, Harriet died of tuberculosis.

Question 21

What did Mill publish in 1859?

Answer 21

Mill published his book “On Liberty” in 1859. This book set out his influential liberty principle which supports freedom of speech.

Question 21

What did he publish in 1863?

Answer 21

He published “Utilitarianism” in 1863.

Question 22

What did Mill campaign for?

Answer 22

He campaigned for women’s suffrage (women’s right to vote) and was anti-slavery.

Question 22

What did Hume publish in 1869 and why?

Answer 22

His ideas about women’s rights led to the publication of the book “The Subjection of Women” in 1869.

Question 22

What did he argue according to the liberty principle?

Answer 22

He argued that according to the liberty principle, women must have the same rights and opportunities to education, work, and suffrage as men.

Question 22

What happened to Mill in 1865?

Answer 22

In 1865, Mill was elected a liberal Member of Parliament for Westminster.

Question 22

When did Mill die?

Answer 22

He died in 1873 and his autobiography was published after his death.

Question 23

Where did Mill move to at the end of his life?

Answer 23

Mill moved to Avignon, France, where he was looked after by Helen, his step-daughter.