The Subjection of Women [Paperback]

Mit Press (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1970

In seeking to explain his opinions on a timeless subject ;the relations between the sexes ;John Stuart Mill admits that he has undertaken an arduous task. For "there are so many causes tending to make the feelings connected with this subject the most intense and most deeply-rooted of all those which gather round and protect old institutions and customs, that we need not wonder to find them as yet less undermined and loosened than any of the rest by the progress of the great modern spiritual and social transition."Yet typically in this essay Mill assails a system of inequality which he feels supports and encourages the subjection of one individual by another and raises questions about the nature and relationship of power and liberty. He proposes to tap the existing climate of opinion that would admit to the great injustice of excluding half the human race from decent occupations and public function on the basis of sex. More than a classical theoretical statement of the case for women's suffrage, the book attacks the full range of social and cultural attitudes and customs that transform physical fact (often compared by Mill to slavery in its most extended form) to social sanction and legal decree. The book treats inequities of the marriage contract and property rights as well as the psychological effects (the "positive evil") that personal servitude and exclusion from public affairs have on women. Are marriage and motherhood socially useful and humane goals? Mill contends that these roles are not "natural" and not always desirable, asserting that their narrow definition prevents women from exercising a truly civilizing influence on family and society.Publication of The Subjection of Women in 1869 drew attention to the fact that despite the implacable opposition of Queen Victoria, a great many women refused to accept the conditions imposed upon them and had recorded their protests. (Had not Queen Victoria inherited the throne, Mill reasons, she would not have been entrusted with the smallest of political duties.) The liberal and enquiring nature of Mill's thesis on one of the great questions of his time easily spans the century and applies, despite legal modifications, to the same issues today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent and affordable edition, with a pithy introduction by Okinthat that contextualizes and summarizes the argument well. Mill's work affords insight not only into the issue of women's emancipation, but also into the world of 19th century liberalism: its views of history, of class, and of slavery..." -- Peter C Caldwell, Rice University. "...A clear and helpful introduction by Susan Okin, one of the leading feminist scholars of our generation, as well as a useful bibliography and chronology of Mill's life... Invaluable for teaching and scholarship alike..." --Ian Shapiro, Yale University. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

This volume of The Subjection of Women provides a reliable text in an inexpensive edition, with explanatory notes but no additional editorial apparatus. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 131 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (November 15, 1970)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262630389
• ISBN-13: 978-0262630382
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #866,153 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mill is on target and ahead of his time, as usual., March 20, 2002

By 

Michael Whalen (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Subjection of Women (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

Mill states here that he still believes traditional gender roles (as we now call them) are desirable, but, being John Mill, he passionatly believes in the freedom of lifestyle choice for the individual. Hard to argue with that.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mill's Best Work, December 23, 2004

By 

Matt "Yosarian" (Norfolk, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Subjection of Women (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

The Subjection of Women is an often overlooked classic by one of history's greatest minds. Published at the end of Mill's life, The Subjection brings together all of Mill's most important views on liberty, utility, human nature, and society. It paints a far more accessable ethic than more famous works, such as On Liberty. Mill uses his philosophical views to reach conclusions that were long ahead of his time, and in many ways continue to outpace our understanding of gender and society. This work is arguably the best feminist writing ever, and the best commentary on morality and social evolution.

Today, Mill's work continues to provide us with a framework for understanding social movements such as the gay rights and animal rights movements. Mill shows us how just institutions are vital to the happiness of both society and the individual, as these institutions are central to the formation of our characters. He shows us how both the oppressor and the oppressed are harmed by unjust institutional arrangements, such as gender inequalities in the family. In sum, Mill's The Subjection of Women is perhaps the finest piece of social and political philosophy produced in the modern era, and should be read by all interested in social justice, feminism, or ethics.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Work by one of the founders of modern libertarian thought, June 20, 2006

By 

Isabelle Guiang (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Subjection of Women (Dodo Press) (Paperback)

A founding document of modern feminism by the granddaddy of libertarian thought. If you have any interest in feminism and/or classical liberalism (a.k.a. libertarianism), you must read this short, brilliant book.