Mill and Socialism : a reply to Capaldi

As Nicholas Capaldi notes, ‘the question of Mill’s relation to socialism continues to puzzle scholars’. This article assesses Capaldi’s reading of Mill’s relationship to socialism, occasionally challenging that definition of socialism, and more frequently showing where Mill’s position is more complicated than Capaldi allows. It then turns to a brief sketch of Mill’s socialism, and how it can be said to speak to a debate not just between liberty and equality, but between liberty, equality, and fraternity

John Stuart Mill’s analysis of capitalism and the road to socialism

In Principles of Political Economy, John Stuart Mill both provides an assessment of the workability and desirability of some prominent contemporary forms of socialism, and sketches his own view of how society might be transformed from capitalism into socialism. His assessment of contemporary forms of socialism–particularly Owenite communism, Saint-Simonism and Fourierism–in the main determines, not that the schemes are themselves wholly unworkable, nor that the criticisms socialists level against contemporary capitalism are entirely unwarranted, but that a better solution could be found which would also not involve their potential problems (particularly for the free development of individuality). Co-operative socialism, which avoids these problems, whilst also providing solutions to the problems of capitalism, is far more favourably reviewed. It is true that Mill’s language regarding the transformation of capitalism is possibilistic rather than deterministic or normatively prescriptive (often using “may” rather than, say, “will”), but there are both clues in his work that he thought some of these changes would come about (perhaps so long as dominant class-interest did not actively seek to prevent it), and that it should–after all, Mill describes a similar set of reforms as his “Utopia” and declared that, by the mid-1840s, his political philosophy was “under the general designation of Socialist”. Although the Saint-Simonian scheme called for state-wide adoption of socialism, and the Owenite and Fourierist schemes Mill assessed called for small intentional communities, they were linked by their demand for whole-scale adoption of socialism, and, therefore, for total, immediate, root-and-branch reform. Mill’s preferred model of transformation to socialism is piece-meal, peaceful, small-scale, incremental, voluntaristic, organic and grass-roots-led–but his proposed, and favoured, transformation is no-less radical or, in the end, wide-reaching. Although wary of being too prescriptive, the socialist proposals Mill did make, ultimately, call for some state-action, provision and ownership (at both national and local level), alongside agricultural and industrial producer- and consumer-cooperatives, which could be as communal in their living arrangements as members wished, and which would implement just distributions of the surpluses of co-operation according to principles of justice democratically determined by all members. He also envisaged radical reform to the family, to religion, to the social ethos and, ultimately, to human nature itself. This chapter sketches, firstly, Mill’s analysis of capitalism, and, secondly, his preferred road to socialism

John Stuart Mill's philosophy of persuasion

In his youth, John Stuart Mill followed his father’s philosophy of persuasion but, in 1830, Mill adopted a new philosophy of persuasion, trying to lead people incrementally towards the truth from their original stand-points rather than engage them antagonistically. Understanding this change helps us understand apparent contradictions in Mill’s canon, as he disguises some of his more radical ideas in order to bring his audience to re-assess and authentically change their opinions. It also suggests a way of reassessing the relationship between Mill’s public and private works, to which we should look if we are attempting to understand his thought

Organization of an elementary school library

This problem in general takes into account the library program of the rural schools in Crawford County, Kansas, grades one through eight inclusive. This does not include textbooks, supplementary readers, encyclopedias, dictionaries, or rental books purchased by the school district. The purpose of this investigation is to obtain information as to whether or not the children of the rural schools of Crawford County, Kansas, receive proper library supervision during their formative years. The writer has read extensively and examined carefully the books, magazines, bulletins, and periodicals on libraries written especially for the elementary school, as to the history of children\u27s literature and the objectives of elementary libraries. The material has been arranged in documentary form in Part I of this problem. In Part II of this problem, a questionnaire was submitted to the administrations of the rural schools of Crawford County, Kansas, to obtain information as to grades involved in that particular school, books, time, interest among children and adults, and money. The writer has used the case-study technique for Part III of this problem. The writer through direct observation, has attempted to analyze the general condition of the reading program at the Chicopee School. The writer has attempted to understand the present status of the Chicopee library by noting the probable causes of the present condition of the said library. Recommendations were suggested to the Chicopee Board of Education, and the necessary adjustments to be made in providing a better reading program for the children of the Chicopee School

“Good housekeeping”? Re-assessing John Stuart Mill’s position on the gendered division of labour

This paper considers an oft-criticised passage of John Stuart Mill’s The Subjection of Women, arguing that Mill’s position is misunderstood. In this passage, Mill identifies a trilemma facing women in non-ideal circumstances. Two elements of this can be satisfied, but not all three, so long as men continue to refuse to perform their domestic responsibilities. In these non-ideal circumstances, Mill privileges justice over autonomy – women ought only to be asked to do their fair share of labour, which, if they chose to marry and have children, will mean it is unfair to ask them also to work full-time outside the home

'There never was a time when so great a drama was being played out in one generation': John Stuart Mill and the French Revolution of 1848

The events of 1848 in France had a profound effect on John Stuart Mill, marking both an important change, and emphasising an important continuity, in his radical political thought. Mill had always had a strong interest in French politics, and a long-standing committment to the call for 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity!'. However, his previous view of how these aims could be achieved underwent a transformation after 1826, and the events of 1848 made him realise his views were 'under the general designation of Socialist'. This article explores Mill's reaction to 1848 as events unfolded and his continued defence of the Provisional Government, showing what this reveals about his growing knowledge of, and committment to, socialism

Alien Registration- Mcneill, Helen W. (Bath, Sagadahoc County)

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