Harriet Taylor Mill

Harriet Taylor Mill ( born October 8, 1807 in London as Harriet Hardy, † November 3, 1858 in Avignon ) was an English suffragette and author. She was known primarily for their cooperation and marriage with the philosopher John Stuart Mill you was instrumental in the creation and the ideas of his works, with their precise share in the research is still controversial.

Life

Harriet Hardy married in 1825 at the age of 18 years, eleven years older than London businessman John Taylor. With him she had three children: Herbert (* 1827); Algernon ( " Haji " ), ( * 1830); and Helen ( "Lily" ), ( * 1831). Although Harriet her husband until recently had for close friendship and respect, they soon felt bored by his lack of interest in philosophical and political issues. Through the mediation of the Unitarian priest WJ Fox in 1830 she met John Stuart Mill know.

Between the two quickly developed strong feelings. Although the morals of the Victorian era a scandal, the story of John Taylor was seen with remarkable tolerance. John Stuart Mill was almost every night a guest at the home of the Taylors, mostly John Taylor was at this time in his club. Both because of the scandal that represented their relationship, as well as due to the fact that both published extensively on the subject of the status of women in society and in relation to men, it employed the research, always check the nature of their relationship purely " platonic " was or had a physical component. While it is now regarded as relatively secure, that it was their relationship before marriage is a purely " platonic ", the state after the wedding is not yet certain. However, several statements in its publications suggest that their relationship until the end " platonic " remained.

1833 Taylor asked his wife to set up their own household. Only when John Taylor in 1848, suffering from cancer, she moved back in with him and nursed him. During this time there were violent clashes between Harriet and John Stuart, since the latter is not enough attended by Harriet's opinion about her husband and took care of.

In 1851, two years after John Taylor's death, the two were married eventually. They moved to their property in Blackheath Park back, probably to escape the gossip of the time.

Works and work

The influence of Harriet Taylor on John Stuart Mill's work is unclear. Under her own name she published a few essays and the work of The enfranchisement of Women. Through its influence on the work published under the name of John Stuart Mill, he said: When two persons have Their thoughts and speculations completely Call in common; When all subjects of intellectual or moral interest are Discussed in between them in daily life, and probed to much Greater depths than are Usually or conveniently sounded in writings Intended for general readers; whenthey set out from the same principles, and arrive at conclusions by processes Pursued Their Jointly, it is of little Consequence in respect to the question of originality, Which of them holds the pen.

While it contributed to Mills more technical works such as the Principles of Logic little, they formed significantly its political-philosophical outlook on the world. A true co-authorship had probably the two books Principles of Political Economy ( there is especially the chapter on the position of the working class almost solely ascribed to it ) and at Mills -known work On Liberty. Mill himself said: The "Liberty" what more Directly and literally our joint production than anything else Which bears my name, for there what not a sentence of it did what not several times gone through by us together, turned over in many ways, and care fully weeded of any faults, Either in thought or expression, did we detected in it ....

Others

At the University of Economics and Law in Berlin, founded in 2001, Harriet Taylor Mill - Institute is named for economics and gender studies at her.

Primary literature

• Harriet Taylor Mill: "The complete Works of ." Bloomington: Indiana University Press 1998, ISBN 978-0253333933
• John Stuart Mill, Harriet Taylor Mill, Helen Taylor: The Subjection of Women. Frankfurt: Syndicate 1969, ISBN 3-8108-0009-0

Secondary literature

• Friedrich A. Hayek: " John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor ." New York: Kelley 1969
• Jo Ellen Jacobs: "The Voice of Harriet Taylor Mill ." Bloomington: Indiana University Press 2002, ISBN 978-0253340719
• Ringo Narewski: " John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor Mill ." VS Verlag Wiesbaden 2008, ISBN 3-531-15735-3