John Stuart Mill

It seems strange to me that a man such as John Stuart Mill, who was raised in the strictest and perhaps ruthlessly efficient manner possible, would become such a considerate and in the more modern sense of the word "liberal" person. Mill, being raised in a Utilitarian household, lived a life without any kind of freedom or play that a normal child (at least by today's standards) would usually be afforded. Because of this harsh early life it might be natural for one to assume that Mills would become a harsh and bitter person, much like his father before him. Mill's politics and not how he grew up, however, are what interest me most concerning this world renowned genius. Mills defended "'liberty of the press' as one of the securities against corrupt or tyrannical government" (Mill 515). He also championed independent thought and action rather than group conformity in a society where uniqueness was practically a crime and class distinction dictated the rules of engagement between individuals all across England. In his quote concerning individuality, Mills states that "He who lets the world, or his own portion of it, choose his plan of life for him, has no need of any other faculty than the ape-like one of imitation" (Mill 518). Mill was, or so I perceive, a forerunner of liberal politics as they are known today. Freedom of choice, freedom of the press, and perhaps most controversal: women's right were the most important issues to Mill and were the topics he most championed.