The Subjection of Women

John Stuart Mill was born in 1806 in a suburb outside of London to a religious family. His father’s friendship with Jeremy Bentham, considered a founder of utilitarianism, would profoundly shape Mill’s own philosophical views. His father was also extremely strict and, according to Mill, deprived him of a childhood, likely contributing to Mill’s belief in freedom and personal liberty. Witnessing the oppression of women and the lower classes further fueled his commitment to social activism. As a teenager, he was arrested and charged with obscenity after writing a pamphlet advocating for birth control amongst the working-class neighborhoods of London.

Through Bentham, Mill met Harriet Taylor, who substantially advanced his ideas on gender equality. The two fell in love and married in 1851, two years after Taylor’s first husband died. Harriet was instrumental in helping Mill develop the ideas presented in The Subjection of Women, and she edited original drafts prior to publication.

Throughout his career, Mill sought not only to promote his ethical theories but also to reconcile the divide between reason and emotion and theory with experience. While Mill is best known for his philosophical ideas and political activism, he was also an economist and member of Parliament. In these roles, he consistently fought for the rights of the poor, arguing that a truly moral society would ensure that the less fortunate did not suffer as much as England’s impoverished did.