James Mill has suffered the unfortunate distinction of being overshadowed by both his philosophical mentor--the founder of utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham--and his own son, the philosopher John Stuart Mill. James Mill, however, distinguished himself as...

Much less well-known than his son John Stuart Mill, James Mill nevertheless occupies a position of importance in the history of Western political thought. Rather than a practical politician, Mill was a theorist with a vision of a society improved by...

One of the founders of the school of "philosophic radicalism," or utilitarianism, which made a considerable impact on nineteenth-century British thought, James Mill was the son of a shoemaker who had married a farmer's daughter. Born on 6 April 1773 in...

James Mill was born in Scotland in 1773 to a shoemaker. It was his mother's goal that Mill rise above his social status. Through her social connections, he met Sir John Stuart, who became a mentor and benefactor to young Mill, housing him and helping...

The Scottish philosopher and journalist James Mill (1773-1836) implemented and popularized utilitarianism. Although possessing little originality of thought, he indirectly influenced the development of one of the main currents of 19th-century...