However, while Mill tends to discuss slavery as a concept that is firmly in the past, in reality there were still several countries-such as Cuba and Brazil-that had not yet abolished slavery at the time he was writing. Mill most frequently makes reference to the abolition of slavery in the U.S., which happened while he was writing the book in 1865. Britain officially banned the slave trade in 1807 and abolished slavery within its colonies in 1811. Yet the historical event most frequently cited within The Subjection of Women is undoubtedly the abolition of slavery.
The power of the monarchy and nobility was diminished and there were greater opportunities for social mobility, particularly via the wealth generated by colonialism and the Industrial Revolution. (Although the first law granting suffrage to certain English women would not be passed until 1918.) In general, the 19th century saw a series of reforms that transformed England into a more liberal society. Divorce had become less prohibitively expensive, more women were publishing their writing, and the women’s suffrage movement was gaining momentum. He died in Avignon, France at the age of 66.Īs Mill mentions in the book, at the time he was writing (the mid-19th century), the status of women was undergoing profound change. As an MP, he campaigned enthusiastically for female suffrage.
In the late 1860s, Mill served as a Liberal Member of Parliament for City and Westminster. Harriet had a profound influence on Mill’s work, including his advocacy of women’s rights, as did Mill’s stepdaughter, Helen Taylor. In 1851 he married his close friend of 21 years, Harriet Taylor, after her husband died in 1849. He defended British imperialism in India but disliked the system of direct rule by the British monarchy, which ultimately led him to return to England. After studying at University College London, Mill embarked on a career as a colonial administrator in India. He was able to survive this period in part by finding renewed inspiration through the poetry of William Wordsworth. However, at the age of 20, he underwent a crisis when he realized that fulfilling this goal would not bring him personal joy, and he contemplated suicide.
From an early age, Mill determined that the purpose of his life was to use his education and intellect to help construct a just, happy society. James ensured that his son had a highly rigorous education that included receiving instruction from famous utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham. John Stuart Mill was the son of James Mill, a Scottish philosopher who worked in the fields of history, economics, and political theory.
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