John Stuart Mill

The views of John Stuart Mill concerning the roles of women completely juxtapose the views of Sarah Ellis. Mill promoted sexual equality, among his many other radical views like the right to divorce, universal suffrage, free speech, and promotional representation. He did not believe that a women's duties were strictly confined to domestic affairs and a women's purpose was only to keep their husbands content, as did Ellis. Mills revokes this inferiority in Chapter 1 of The Subjection of Women when he writes:

"- the legal subordination of one sex to the other - is wrong in itself, and now one of the chief hindrances to human improvement; and that ought to be replaced by a principle of perfect equality, admitting no power or privilege on the one side, nor disability on the other"(521). 

In reading this quotation, the reader can clearly witness what Mill believes in: sexual equality. He states that no gender is greater than another. Women should not be inferior to men, just as men should not be subordinate to women. If these views of subordination are adopted (with either gender considered inferior), it only cripples the ability of society to continue towards human improvement. 

Mill also writes, " the opinion in favour of the present system, which entirely subordinates the weaker sex to the stronger, rests upon theory only"(521). Basically, there is no significant evidence that proves one gender should be inferior to another. This idea was created by the belief of society, a belief that was constructed without examining that such a convention would be advantageous. Mill reiterates this as he writes, "the adoption of this system of inequality never was the result of deliberation, or forethought, or any social ideas, or any notion whatever of what conduced to the benefit of humanity or the good order of society"(522). Mills continues in a well developed argument against theories, uncovering that many have been proven to be false. He argues that slave owners of the Southern United States also held their "theories" to be absolute, but was not this concept similar to the one concerning sexual equality? He questions his reader, "Did they not call heaven and earth to witness that the domination of the white man over the black is natural?"(522). By this point in history, slavery had been outlawed and was considered highly unacceptable in society. Mills points out that society was formerly wrong when they believed black men to be inferior to white men, subjecting the black men to white man's rule. Just as society was wrong in this belief, they are equally wrong in presuming that women are unequal and subordinate to men. Yet, Mills concludes that the reasoning behind these feelings is the association among individuals in sharing one another's conclusions. He writes, "A stupid person's notions and feelings may confidently be inferred from those which prevail in the circle by which the person is surrounded"(524). It is always easier for people to ascribe to the conclusions that are most popular, and least refuted. For an individual, this is like taking the easy way out- they do not have to explore their personal feelings, or be educated in what they believe to be right or wrong, nor do they have to experience disagreement when their personal beliefs are contested. If someone were to ever disagree with their shared conclusions, they would not lose anything in being proven false, for their personal belief was never grounded in such an idea. This simple road is taken by so many that soon everyone ascribes to an idea that they may or may not truly believe. So if one tried to take the road least traveled by ascribing to a different theory, he would face overwhelming opposition that could easily cause him to turn away from his conclusions from fear alone. 

Unfortunately, many women writing in this era were overlooked. And the men who may have seen the injustice in gender inequality, were, for reasons described by Mills, unable to confess their beliefs. The men who did opt to write and fight for women's rights were written of as too radical an were looked down upon, as John Mills was. Fortunately enough people reached their personal conclusions regarding this injustice and voiced them. Therefore, we can thank writers and reformers like Mill who took a risk in fighting for what he believed was right.