Utilitarian Libralism In Victorian Age

As the most famous liberalist in the English-speaking world of the nineteenth century, John Stuart Millhas received repetitive studies and criticisms during the following centuries. This thesis examines somedisputable aspects of Millian liberalism.Millian liberalism is mainly based on utilitarianism, which aims at the greatest happiness of the greatestpeople. For Mill, this aim cannot be achieved without the free development of individuality. To protectindividuality, he proposed “a simple principle” dividing public sphere and private sphere in On Liberty.There is a belief throughout this book that free development of rational beings ensures the developmentof civilisation.For Mill, utilitarian liberalism provides an extensive human principle which must be recognized in anycivilised social system. With an open mind to social experiments, he showed great interest in the novelidea of socialism in the nineteenth century. Socialism shares the same aim with utilitarianism and itscontrol of economy is not theoretically against Mill’s principle since economy belongs to public sphere.However, his support of socialism needs a detailed analysis. He has never forgotten socialism faces anequally or even more dangerous situation of homogeneity which will suffocate individuality.Mill’s reinforcement of individuality and diversity has received plenty of research from the perspectiveof pluralism in recent decades. But it has to be noticed that Mill’s pluralistic tendency is dubious.Millian liberalism has two premises: rational people and civilised society. The industrial developmentand expansion of Britain Empire in the nineteenth century made his definition of civilisation a verynarrow one. Colonial people are portrayed as irrational thus subordination to civilised race is inevitable.Utilitarian liberalism does not apply to the “uncivilised” world.