John Stuart Mill: Victorian Firebrand
Mill! thou shouldst be living at this hour
Richard ReevesAtlantic Books, 616pp, £30,
Samuel Brittan
Britain has had few public intellectuals. The one undeniable example was John Stuart Mill who lived from 1806 to 1873 and whose utterances dominated the more intelligent public debates of the mid-19th century — predictably he was keenly studied by Gladstone and mocked by Disraeli. In the last year of his life he was persuaded to be godfather to the infant Bertrand Russell, who was the nearest runner-up in the UK public intellectual stake. Mill’s own influence was on the wane for much of the 20th century when Marx became the centre of attention. But it has been rekindled in the past few decades as faith in collectivist nostrums has evaporated and there have been numerous academic studies of different aspects of his work. The time is therefore ripe for a full-scale modern biography which provides reliable pointers to the main doctrinal issues, but concentrates on the man and his career. This is amply provided by Richard Reeves in his well, but unobtrusively, documented new book.
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Rajagopal
November 30th, 2007 9:15amBertrand Russe, J S Mill's protege, would be the best example of his legacy, as the latter's veritable contributions to Mathematics, Philosophy and literature would testify.
Aniruddha G. Kulkarni
December 1st, 2007 7:03amI wonder why no one comments on Mill's huge influence on 19th century Indian leaders of all hue. I wonder if any other Brit influenced Indian leaders as much as him.
Guy in WN
December 2nd, 2007 7:48pmOf course, the definition of "harm" is the problem, particularly in modern societies with extensive tax-funded services. Passive smoking seems to fit the definition according to current research into heart disease deaths but drawing Mill's line has become one of the defining acts of politicians of all colours, whether they are aware of this or not.