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John Mill

John Mill

2 7.2
An English philosopher and economist known for promoting utilitarian ideas
  • proper noun
: John Stuart Mill
  • The works of John Mill significantly shaped modern views on utilitarianism.

Examples

  • Many scholars continue to study John Mill's contributions to liberal political theory.

  • Several university courses feature John Mill in their philosophy curriculum.

  • John Mill greatly influenced modern philosophy.

  • Did you read anything by John Mill?

  • Many scholars continue to study John Mill's contributions to liberal political theory.

  • The works of John Mill significantly shaped modern views on utilitarianism.

  • Several university courses feature John Mill in their philosophy curriculum.

Synonyms

John Stuart Mill
vsJohn Mill
2 5.7

An English philosopher and economist who argued for individual freedom and the greatest happiness for most people

is a shortened form that omits the middle name used in formal references

Surface Forms

John Mill main

Morphology

John + Mill

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; knowing the constituents 'John' (a given name) and 'mill' (a grinding building) does not allow a learner to infer the referent or the biographical meaning. Proper names are arbitrary, non-compositional labels across languages, so the overall meaning cannot be derived from the parts.

Etymology

John Mill was an English writer and thinker from the 1800s who said people get their ideas from experience. He believed we should judge actions by how much happiness they bring to most people, so his name is linked to ideas about 'freedom' and the 'greatest good'.