John Stuart Mill and The Influence of Utilitarianism on Hard Times

This is indeed what Mill strived for as a British philosopher, economist, moral and political theorist, as well as expert in logic. As time went on, Mill entered into the East India Company as a clerk, interestingly enough, the same place his own father had worked before. Mill sored through the hierarchical structure of the East India Company, in which he became chief examiner of correspondence. Moreover, problems arose and Mill was forced to retire. It was not until this very opportunity had occurred, in which he truly fought for what he believed in. He had continued to work for many radical causes throughout his life, such as the status and equality of women. Critics say, that because Mill’s father dominated the household during the early years of the 19th century, his mother was not permitted to have an opinion regarding such affairs. For this reason, his interest in women studies is thought to be a correlation to his own mother and her gender role due to the patriarchal society that dominated England in the 1800’s.

Mill profoundly made his impact on society with his System of Logic. This work re-vamped the monotonous study of logic while carefully reflecting on the philosophies of both science and social science. There are countless works by Mill that demonstrate the average problems with society occurring around the mid 1800’s that also reflected his own opinions, such as: the strict view of liberal principles, rationalism, women and their role in society, and a multitude of many more (Heydt) These works all date back his childhood in that his prime areas of suspect all influenced his childhood in some way. A majority of the denial and pain John had felt as a child took its course in the idea that people are their ideas, and...

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...ad he would only show his obscene way of caring for them, that is making them recite information and learning new material. It is evident that through Dickens’ fascination with Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, the reader sees a parallel between the ways in which the characters are portrayed. Extending equally, it can also be assumed that Mr. Gradgrind and his son Tom Gradgrind represent James Mill and his son, John Stuart Mill. This is because throughout the novel, Mr. Gradgrind forces his son to smother his emotions resulting in a greedy deceptive man. Although Mill Jr. did not grow up to be a greedy or deceptive man necessarily, his younger years were still centered throughout memorizing facts and mathematical equations. The underlying emotional connection between Tom and Thomas Gradgrind can be related back to the relationship between James Mill and his son.