J. S. Mill and Political Violence
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12228697 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Geraint Williams (University of Sheffield, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1989 |
| Volume | 1 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 102-111 |
| Publication date | 1989-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Utilitas (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0953-8208 • E-ISSN: 1741-6183 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s095382080000008x |
| OpenAlex | W2144870734 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 9 |
| References cited | 6 |
The most common view of Mill sees him as the classic liberal and one key element in this liberalism is said to be that his thought ‘rests on the belief that the use of reason can settle fundamental social conflicts’. He is seen by a leading authority as ‘the rationalist, confident that social change could be effected by the art of persuasion and by the simple fact that men would learn from bitter experiences’. To point out that at various times in his life Mill supported the use of violence in political life is insufficient in itself to challenge this basic view. However, if it can be shown that Mill's support for political violence adds up to a coherent justificatory theory then Mill's standing as the model liberal upholder of reason might need to be revised. Or at least the commonly assumed opposition between reason and violence will need to be re-examined. Are there circumstances in which the use of violence rather than persuasion is the rational course? In looking at Mill's response to events in France, America, Ireland, and Canada as well as his attitude to British politics it is clear that there are numerous examples of his support for the use of violence: ‘I do not scruple to say that I have sympathised more or less ardently with most of the rebellions, successful and unsuccessful, which have taken place in my time’. Our present concern is to see whether he developed any general principles whereby such violence could be shown to be legitimate
Element (criminal law · Liberalism · Mill · Opposition (politics · Persuasion · Political science · Political violence · Politics · Sociology · European Political History Analysis · History · Law · Political Theory and Influence · Psychology · Rousseau and Enlightenment Thought · Social Psychology
Utilitarianism and our obligations to future people
What virtue ethics can learn from utilitarianism
Utilitarianism and fairness
The Cambridge Companion to Utilitarianism
A Reconsideration of John Stuart Mill's Account of Political Violence
The J. S. Mill Bibliography
The J. S. Mill Bibliography
Mill and socialism
What's Not in On Liberty
| Unique citing works | 9 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,24 |
| Citation span | 1989 - 2016 (28) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 9 |