J.S. Mill on Revolution, Rebellion, and Reform -- .), Utility, Progress, and Technology: Proceedings of the 15th Conference of the International Society for Utilitarian Studies. 2021,

The chapter examines John Stuart Mill’s nuanced opinions on rebellions, uprisings, and revolutions. Was he a ‘rev-olutionary’? I claim that he was, but not in the Marxist sense of the term. The young Mill was raised to be a radicalreformer for Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarian movement, and he was politically active his entire life. He wrote onhistoric events such as the American and French Revolutions. He also lived through such events as the 1848 revo-lutions, the Maori Wars, the Sepoy Mutiny, the U.S. Civil War, and the Morant Bay uprising. From his essays, letters,and his record in Parliament, we see that he supported these insurgencies, at least initially, or sided with oppressedpeople. However, he advocated gradual change based on deliberation, debate, and reason over force. Mill’s ap-parent contradictions are explained by examining his perspectives on these events through the lens of utility andprogress. Avoiding unnecessary violence is a means to minimizing pain, and it takes time for free and open discus-sion to prepare and persuade people to accept change. For Mill, the aim of history is human improvement. This iswhat constitutes utility in the ‘large sense’ and the truest way to maximize happiness.

J.S. Mill on Revolution, Rebellion, and Reform -- .), Utility, Progress, and Technology: Proceedings of the 15th Conference of the International Society for Utilitarian Studies. 2021, Academic Article