Sunday, May 21, 2006

Happy Birthday John Stuart Mill!

May 20th was the bicentenary of the birth of
John Stuart Mill, arguably the most important British philosopher of the 19th century. With an estimated IQ of 192, he was way ahead of his time in his advocacy of women's rights and his principle that we should be free to do what we like as long as it harms no-one else is still often quoted in many a modern debate. My thoughts on his contribution to practical philosophy can be found here.
There's lots of good articles and even a BBC podcast on Mill on-line.
Here are some of the best

Radio 4 "In our Times" on John Stuart Mill
Prospect article for Mill bicentenary by Richard Reeves
Article in The Times to celebrate Mill bicentenary

See also
Full text of Utilitarianism and Autobiography at www.utilitarianism.com
Wiki article on J.S. Mill