The Subjection of Women facts for kids

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The Subjection of Women

The title page of first print of Subjection of Women, 1869
Author	John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor Mill
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Publisher	Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer
Publication date	1869
Media type	Print

The Subjection of Women is a famous book written by an English thinker named John Stuart Mill. It was published in 1869. He worked on the ideas for this book with his wife, Harriet Taylor Mill.

Mill finished writing this book in 1861, after his wife passed away. When it came out, the book's main idea – that men and women should be equal – was very new and shocking. Most people in Europe at that time believed men and women had very different roles and rights.

John Stuart Mill said that his wife, Harriet, and his daughter, Helen Taylor, helped him a lot with the book. He wrote that the most important and deep ideas in the book came from his wife. They had many talks about how women were treated in society.

Some people think that Harriet Taylor Mill's own essay, The Enfranchisement of Women (published in 1851), had similar ideas. This shows that they both believed strongly in women's rights.

Mill believed that if people became smarter and more moral, everyone would be happier. He thought that learning and thinking deeply brought more joy than just simple fun. He also believed that all humans could learn and become better people. Mill felt that almost everyone should have the right to vote.

He argued that people need to vote to protect their own rights. Voting also helps them learn to think for themselves. Mill believed this was true for both men and women. As a member of Parliament, he often asked for women to get the right to vote. This was a very brave thing to do back then.

In Mill's time, women were usually controlled by their husbands or fathers. This was because people thought women were weaker and less smart than men. They believed women needed men to "take care of" them. Religious beliefs and old ideas about biology also supported this view. The idea of a woman as only a mother, wife, and homemaker was very strong in the 1800s.

Mill knew that his ideas went against what most people thought. He knew he would have to explain and defend his views strongly. He argued that treating women unequally was an old idea from a time when "might was right." He felt it had no place in the modern world. Mill believed that if half of humanity (women) couldn't use their talents outside the home, it would slow down human progress.

... [T]he legal subordination of one sex to another – is wrong in itself, and now one of the chief hindrances to human improvement; and that it ought to be replaced by a system of perfect equality, admitting no power and privilege on the one side, nor disability on the other.

Arguments for Equality

Mill strongly disagreed with the idea that women are naturally worse at certain things than men. He argued that we don't truly know what women can do. This is because society has never really let them try. He said you can't say something is impossible without proof. We shouldn't stop women from trying things just because we think they might not be good at them.

The anxiety of mankind to intervene on behalf of nature...is an altogether unnecessary solicitude. What women by nature cannot do, it is quite superfluous to forbid them from doing.

Mill pointed out that men were contradicting themselves. They would say women couldn't do something, but then try to stop them from doing it. Mill suggested this showed men actually believed women could do these things, but men didn't want them to.

He believed we should find out what women can do by letting them try. Mill said we don't really know what women's true nature is. This is because their upbringing and society's rules have shaped them so much. He suggested we should experiment with equality.

I deny that any one knows or can know, the nature of the two sexes, as long as they have only been seen in their present relation to one another. Until conditions of equality exist, no one can possibly assess the natural differences between women and men, distorted as they have been. What is natural to the two sexes can only be found out by allowing both to develop and use their faculties freely.

Women were often raised to act weak, emotional, or obedient. This was a traditional idea. Mill believed that if we tried equality, women would be happier. They would be free from being told what to do by men. Society would also benefit greatly. It would double the amount of talent and ideas available to help humanity. The potential of half the population would be set free. This would lead to huge progress for everyone.

Mill's essay is based on the idea of utilitarianism. This means doing what brings the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people. He saw three main benefits:

• More immediate happiness for individuals.
• A richer, better society.
• Better personal growth for everyone.

Mill argued that if society truly wanted to know what was natural for men and women, it should create a free market. This would mean women would be paid fairly for all the work they do. Then, their choices would show their real interests and skills.

Mill also felt that freeing and educating women would help men too. If women were educated and could compete, it would make everyone smarter. He thought it was bad for men to be married to uneducated wives. Mill believed that marriage was often just a custom. He thought that if women were educated, they could connect with their husbands on a deeper, intellectual level. This would make relationships better.

Mill strongly criticized marriage laws. He compared the way women were treated in marriage to slavery. He said there were "no legal slaves, save the mistress of every house." He believed that the control over women would end, just like slavery did. He also wanted marriage laws to change. He wanted marriage to be more like a business agreement, giving both people freedom. This included letting women keep their own property. It also meant allowing women to work outside the home to earn their own money.

The issue of women's suffrage (the right to vote) was very important to Mill. Women made up half the population. So, they had a right to vote because political decisions affected them too. He thought that most men would vote for politicians who would keep women in a lower position. Therefore, women needed to vote to protect their own interests.

Under whatever conditions, and within whatever limits, men are admitted to the suffrage, there is not a shadow of justification for not admitting women under the same.

Mill believed that even in unequal societies like England, there was proof that women could do great things if given the chance. He pointed to queens like Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, and the French hero, Joan of Arc. He argued that if women were given the opportunity, they would do well in many other areas.

John Stuart Mill was not just a writer. He actively worked for women's rights as a Member of Parliament. He was also the president of the National Society for Women's Suffrage.

Main Ideas

Mill's ideas changed how people saw him over time. For many years, people thought he wrote about many different topics without a clear connection. But his main idea was always about utilitarianism and what was best for society.

Utilitarianism

This idea means that nothing should be stopped just because it's "wrong" or because it hasn't been done before. When making decisions, we should aim for the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. This often meant challenging old ways of thinking. If you want to make something against the law, you need to show what harm it causes. Mill believed that individuals know what is best for themselves.

Progress of Society

Mill saw the "greatest good" as the moral and intellectual growth of society. Different societies are at different stages of development. They might need different solutions to help them move forward. The same is true for individuals. Mill had a clear idea of how individuals progress:

• Using their higher thinking skills.
• Growing morally, putting others' needs before their own.

Individual Freedom

Mill believed people are independent and can learn and change. He thought that personal freedom was the best way for people to grow morally. As we develop, we can govern ourselves and make our own choices. We don't have to depend on what others tell us to do. Democracy, where people vote for their leaders, is a way for people to be self-reliant.

This means:

• Personal Liberty: As long as we don't hurt others, we should be free to be ourselves. We should be able to try different ways of living.
• Liberty to Govern our own Affairs: As people become more civilized, they can make their own decisions. They can also protect their own rights. Having a government where people vote helps us think about what's good for everyone.
• Liberty for women as well as men: All of Mill's arguments about freedom apply to both men and women. Old ideas about how men and women are different have never been truly tested. Women can also take part in making decisions about their own lives.

See also

In Spanish: La esclavitud de las mujeres para niños