Abstract

The idea of human growth plays a key role in explaining Mill's philosophy. Scholars have paid much attention to Mill's thought; however they have overlooked the central theme that unifies his social, psychological, political, and moral theory. This has led to misunderstandings among those who study Mill. It is therefore important to clear up the confusion surrounding his message. I argue that growth was among Mill's most important values. In order to understand and appreciate his thought, one must take his growth ethic seriously. ;I establish this by examining Mill's conception of growth from a number of perspectives. I also resolve certain areas of his thought that have perplexed Mill scholars. Ch. 1 shows how Mill's belief in development stemmed from his personal experiences, and how his life and work were developed toward self-improvement and social progress. Ch. 2 clarifies what I mean by 'growth' and establishes that his belief in growth is a consistent theme throughout the corpus of his writings. Ch. 3 explores some confusing problems in Mill's ethics. Mill deviates from Benthamism because of his belief in growth. His emphasis on the quality of pleasures, and higher forms of happiness, along with his pluralist view on the ends of life, reflect the high value that he ascribes to growth. Ch. 4 argues that Isaiah Berlin and a legion of writers misrepresent Mill's theory of liberty. By categorizing Mill as a negative libertarian, they obscure some of the most important features of his theory. By paying attention to the positive aspects of liberty, I present a more complete and plausible account of how liberty functions in his social system. Ch. 5 analyzes the position of children in Mill's social theory. Because Mill excludes them from the domain of liberty, it is commonly assumed that he ascribes a low status to children. I argue against this by showing that his treatment of the immature can be explained by his concern for their proper development. Ch. 6 examines Mill's theory of history. I show that his interest in the study of history stems from his concern for progress, and that his support of colonialism was shaped by his belief in development. Finally, I consider the satisfactoriness of Mill's views on growth and his success at conveying his message. I conclude that Mill was right in promoting a growth ethic, but he had no effective system for implementing his views