Mill

John Stuart Mill, an influential 19th-century British philosopher, is renowned for his works on logic, liberty, and utilitarianism. He made significant contributions to various fields, including political philosophy, ethics, and economics. Here’s an overview of his major works and contributions:

### Major Works and Contributions

1. **Utilitarianism (1861)**

   - **Core Idea**: Mill elaborates on the ethical theory of utilitarianism, originally formulated by Jeremy Bentham. He argues that actions are right if they promote happiness and wrong if they produce the opposite of happiness. Mill distinguishes between higher and lower pleasures, asserting that intellectual and moral pleasures (higher pleasures) are superior to more base pleasures (lower pleasures).

   - **Notable Concepts**: The “greatest happiness principle” and the idea that it is “better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.”

2. **On Liberty (1859)**

   - **Core Idea**: Mill explores the nature and limits of the power that can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual. He introduces the "harm principle," which states that individuals should be free to do anything except harm others. This work is a foundational text in the defense of individual freedom and liberty.

   - **Notable Concepts**: The “tyranny of the majority” and the importance of individuality and freedom of expression.

3. **The Subjection of Women (1869)**

   - **Core Idea**: Co-written with his wife, Harriet Taylor Mill, this work argues for gender equality and women's rights. Mill critiques the legal and social subordination of women, advocating for equality in marriage, education, and employment.

   - **Notable Concepts**: The comparison of marriage laws to slavery and the assertion that both men and women would benefit from gender equality.

4. **A System of Logic (1843)**

   - **Core Idea**: Mill outlines his theory of scientific reasoning and inductive logic. He proposes five methods of induction, known as Mill's Methods: the methods of agreement, difference, joint method, residues, and concomitant variations. These methods are designed to identify causal relationships between phenomena.

   - **Notable Concepts**: The importance of empirical evidence and induction in scientific inquiry.

5. **Principles of Political Economy (1848)**

   - **Core Idea**: This work covers various economic theories and policies, emphasizing the importance of production and distribution. Mill discusses the roles of capital, labor, and land in the economy and advocates for progressive taxation and social reforms.

   - **Notable Concepts**: The stationary state and the idea that economic growth should be balanced with environmental and social considerations.

### Related Quizbowl Facts That Appeared In More Than One Toss-up

1. **Utilitarianism**

   - "This philosopher argued that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness."

   - "He proposed the greatest happiness principle in a work inspired by Jeremy Bentham."

2. **On Liberty**

   - "This philosopher introduced the harm principle, stating that the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others."

   - "He discussed the tyranny of the majority in defending one book's title concept."

3. **The Subjection of Women**

   - "This author argued that freedoms good for men were also good for women in a work possibly written by his wife, Harriet Taylor."

   - "He claimed that the individual is sovereign over his ‘body and mind’ in another work."

4. **A System of Logic**

   - "He championed inductive reasoning as freeing the empirical sciences by use of syllogisms in his A System of Logic."

   - "This man proposed five namesake methods of inductive reasoning."

### Related Quizbowl Facts

1. Mill distinguishes between higher and lower ___1___ in his work on utilitarianism.

2. Mill’s principle of utility is central to his book ___2___.

3. Mill’s harm principle is a key concept in his work titled ___3___.

4. Mill co-wrote ___4___ of Women with his wife Harriet Taylor.

5. Mill’s methods of ___5___ are detailed in A System of Logic.

1. Pleasures

2. Utilitarianism

3. On Liberty

4. The Subjection

5. Induction

Here are the clues sorted by frequency:

1. **"On Liberty"** - 29 times

2. **"Utilitarianism"** - 27 times

3. **"The Subjection of Women"** - 21 times

4. **"A System of Logic"** - 21 times

5. **"Principles of Political Economy"** - 11 times

6. **"Harm principle"** - 10 times

7. **"Harriet Taylor"** - 10 times

8. **"Methods of inductive reasoning" or "Mill's methods"** - 9 times

9. **"Examination of Sir William Hamilton's Philosophy"** - 6 times

Here are brief explanations of Mill's Methods:

1. **Method of Agreement**: If a factor is common in multiple instances where a phenomenon occurs, it's likely the cause.

2. **Method of Difference**: If a phenomenon occurs in one instance but not in another, and they differ by only one factor, that factor is the likely cause.

3. **Joint Method of Agreement and Difference**: Combines the first two methods to strengthen causal conclusions by confirming a common factor in occurrences and its absence in non-occurrences.

4. **Method of Residues**: Subtract known causes from a phenomenon to find the remaining cause.

5. **Method of Concomitant Variations**: If changes in one factor correspond with changes in another, they may be causally related.

(Mill discussed these methods in his work "A System of Logic.")

**"Examination of Sir William Hamilton's Philosophy"** is another of Mill's works where he critiques the views of Sir William Hamilton on various philosophical issues, especially focusing on logic and metaphysics.