John Stuart Mill had a difficult childhood, as his father used him as a subject to test his theories of education, which caused Mill to have a nervous breakdown. As an adult, Mill fought against various forms of tyranny, including advocating for women's rights. He argued that women's subordination to men through practices like coerced marriage was a barbaric holdover that should be abolished. Mill believed that individuals require freedom to develop themselves on all sides according to their inner nature, rather than being shaped like machines to some external model.

1. John Stuart Mill 1806-1873

2. Introduction Down with Tyranny! Fought against the tyranny of his father’s utilitarian education The father used Mill as a guinea pig for his theories Forced him to have a nervous breakdown Stunted his emotional development Mill continued to fight against other types of tyranny throughout his life. Women’s rights, or lack-there-of the loss of individual freedoms in a democratic society Also reflects on his own inner struggle against a meaningless existence.

3. Introduction Attacks the utilitarian’sinsistence on rationality: Among the “prime necessities of human well-being,” is attention to “the internal culture of the individual.” “The cultivation of the feelings became one of the cardinal points in [Mills]ethical and philosophical creed.” The importance of individual self-expression and the development of non-quantifiable human qualities are similarly emphasized. “Human nature is not a machine to be built after a model, and set to do exactly the work prescribed for it, but a tree, which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides, according to the tendency of the inward forces which make it a living thing,”

4. Subjection of Women Theme: The subordination of women to men is a barbaric, outmoded practice. Mill’s argument is fairly straightforward, Focus on the radical nature of his statements especially in comparing marriage to slavery.

5. Subjection of Women Mill likens marriage to slavery: Similar view to the Romantic-era philosophers before him I.e: Mary Wollstonecraft Women are “compelled” into marriage: “alleged natural vocation,” Their culture feels it is a woman’s duty and they have internalized this belief to some extent. “all other doors” are closed against them. The “clue to the feelings of those men, who have a real antipathy to the equal freedom of women,” fear that if given the opportunity to support themselves, “all women of spirit and capacity should prefer doing almost anything else” than “degrading” themselves through marriage.