Mill, John Stuart

[Page 523]John Stuart Mill was a 19th-century British philosopher and economist. He was born in London on May 20, 1806. His father, James Mill, was a philosopher in his own right. James was from Scotland, educated at Edinburgh University; he then moved to London and served as assistant to Jeremy Bentham, who established the utilitarian school of philosophy and who was also John Stuart's godfather. James Mill created a very rigorous educational program for his son.

John Stuart Mill expanded the Benthamite conception of happiness with his clarification of the utility principle and its application to political and social conditions. His coherent expression of moral theory heavily influenced subsequent thinkers, including advocates across a spectrum of drug policies. For instance, proponents of decriminalization and more laissez-faire ...