Mill, John Stuart (1806–1873)

John Stuart Mill was born in Petonville, England, on May 20, 1806—the first son of James Mill and Harriet Barrow. John Stuart's intellectual journey commenced at an early age with his father as his primary instructor. A demanding and diverse educational process began with Mill grasping Greek and English at age 3 and Latin at age 8. By his middle teenage years, he had completed advanced studies in history, mathematics, and economics. Mill's education was enhanced by annual trips to the estate of Jeremy Bentham—a friend of James Mill—where John Stuart was immersed in Bentham's utilitarian ideas.

At the age of 17, John Stuart began what would become a 35-year career at the East India Company, starting as a clerk and rising to the second highest ...