John Stuart Mill : socialist

Why did the world's most famous liberal call himself a socialist? Best known as the author of __On Liberty__, John Stuart Mill remains a canonical figure in liberalism today. Yet according to his autobiography, by the mid-1840s he placed himself "under the general designation of Socialist." Taking this self-description seriously, __John Stuart Mill, Socialist__ reinterprets Mill's work in its light. "In his Autobiography, John Stuart Mill described himself as "under the general designation of Socialist". Yet Mill remains most famous as the author of On Liberty, that classic defence of free speech, free trade, and freedom. In this--the first book-length treatment of Mill's self-designation--Helen McCabe offers a radical re-reading of Mill, introducing a new figure in the canon of political thought: Mill the socialist. McCabe charts Mill's interactions with socialism, from his early debates against Owenites through his befriending by Saint-Simonians to his excitement over the revolutionary events of 1848, exploring how his changing relationship to the radicalism of his youth led Mill to socialism. She explains how Mill's adoption of socialist ideas about history and progress led him to advocate many liberal reforms 'for now', but that this does not undermine his commitment to socialism as a desirable, feasible, and potentially very near future. McCabe lays out Mill's core commitments to utility, security, progress, liberty, equality and fraternity, tying together elements from across Mill's oeuvre to show how he tried to balance these principles in his unique form of socialism. Mill's commitment to decentralised socialism; to cooperation and democratised work-places; to fairer distributions of leisure and opportunities for self-development; to distributive justice, relational egalitarianism, women's empowerment and the environment are critically relevant today as we look to rebuild the world in the wake of financial crises, climate change, and global pandemics. He offers a socialist road so-far not travelled, which it is high time we explored. "-- Provided by publisher Best known as the author of On Liberty , John Stuart Mill remains a canonical figure in liberalism today. Yet according to his autobiography, by the mid-1840s he placed himself "under the general designation of Socialist." Taking this self-description seriously, John Stuart Mill, Socialist reinterprets Mill's work in its light. Helen McCabe explores the nineteenth-century political economist's core commitments to egalitarianism, social justice, social harmony, and a socialist utopia of cooperation, fairness, and human flourishing. Uncovering Mill's changing relationship with the radicalism of his youth and his excitement about the revolutionary events of 1848, McCabe argues that he saw liberal reforms as solutions to contemporary problems, while socialism was the path to a better future. In so doing, she casts new light on his political theory, including his theory of social progress; his support for democracy; his feminism; his concept of utility; his understanding of individuality; and his account of "the permanent interests of man as a progressive being," which is so central to his famous harm principle. As we look to rebuild the world in the wake of financial crises, climate change, and a global pandemic, John Stuart Mill, Socialist offers a radical rereading of the philosopher and a fresh perspective on contemporary meanings of socialism. Cover JOHN STUART MILL, SOCIALIST Title Copyright CONTENTS Acknowledgments Introduction CHAPTER ONE Socialism as the Means to Maximizing Happiness: Mill’s Crisis of Faith and the Expansion of the Horizons of Human Society CHAPTER TWO Criticisms of Capitalism and Mill’s Idea of a “Perfected” System of Private Property CHAPTER THREE Mill’s Assessment of Contemporary Socialism(s): Community, Cooperation, and Revolution CHAPTER FOUR Mill’s Socialist Principles CHAPTER FIVE Mill’s Socialist “Utopia” Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index