At first young Mill accejited without hesitation the leading ideas of his father, and of the circle of his fa- ther's friends, among whom were chief the philosojiber Bentham (q. v.) and the jiolitical economist liieardo. They had many projects on foot for the improvement of mankind, and the youthfid and inexperienced Mill entered into their plans with the zeal becoming his age and wisdom ; indeed, he believed he had a call " to be a reformer of mankind," and felt as if all liis earthly hap- piness hung upon this design. His studies were ili- rected to this end, and he began when only sixteen to employ his yien in the work. The enthusiasm lasted until his twentieth year. He was in the midst of eager discussion, he had already made himself a reputation iii the new Westminster Hetieu; and was hard at work upon his edition oi Judicial Eridence, when lie stojijied to ask himself this question, " Suppose that all your objects in life were realized, that all the changes in institutions and opinions which you are looking forwanl to could be completely eflfected at this very instant, would this be a great joy and happiness to you ?" He got the inevita- ble answer, '• No." In an hour the liglit faded out of all his visions. His labor had lost its motive and its charm. He had nothing, he thought, to live for; and he sank into a dull and dreary melancholy. He had heretofore made happiness the end of existence, and the test of all right action ; but he now found it impossible, in his own experience, to realize that end or apply that test, because he was forced to confess that no action, however apparently successful, was competent to bring him happiness. His philosophy of life had broken down under him. It was evidently necessary to recon- struct it ; and as the six months' melancholy wore away be elaborated his new theory. He still considered hap- piness the end of life, but '• thought this end only to be .attained by not making it the direct end. Ask your- self whether you are happy, anil you cease to be so. The only chance is to treat, not happiness, but some end external to it, as the jiurpose of life." These utilita- rian doctrines Ijecame the life of his theory of morals, and the principles in his expansion of the Benthamite formulas. They are, it must be confessed, "the least earthy forms of this earthy philosophy," and yet how very far from the Christian doctrine of dt:ty and of right is any such theory of morals as this ! Still, had he but followed the iVee and uncontrollable bent of his philosophical growth from this jioiiit in his life, or had he fallen into hands other than those which subse- quently enchained him, we think that he might liave arrived at far higher and more sound results in moral and metaphysical science than he ever attained to. Tor it may be here remarked that one of the distinctive ])e- culiarities of INIill was what, for want of a simpler term, must be calleil his receptiri/y. Seldom has so jiowerful a thinker been so subject to the unconscious inHucnce of others; but in him sympathy was more powerful than individuality — he had more of the feminine prin- ciple that receives than the masculine power which im- parts an impression. Hence through life, whenever his sympathies and affections were e.xciled, his opinions fol- lowed.
In 1820 John was first suffered to pass beyond the narrow limn of his father's study, and he was sent for a year to France, where be studied some of the sciences and the higher mathematics. On his return he contin- ued his ])hiloso]ihical studies, and in the winter of 1822- •23 had the pleasure of starting a " I'tilitarian Society," where he enjoyed discussions upon some of the heaviest metaphy.sic.al to|iics tiiat occui)ied the British mind, and lie himself tells us that he ahv.ays dated from them his own " real inauguration as an original and indepen-
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dent thinker." He also obtained valuable instructions from the " Co-operative Society," comiiosed of the dis- ciples of Owen, the Communist, -with whom Mill and a few other political economists, sworn enemies of Com- munism, had discussions in order to " settle" the ques- tion whether the Owenites had any right to exist. ^ Tlie result was the formation of a "Speculative Society," composed of a body of young men who became almost as famous as Mill— Macaulay, Tliirlwall, Wilberforce, and the Bulwers, among others, were of that circle. In May, 1823, his father procured for him employment in the' East India Company, which he himself was serv- ing, and John was thus aiforded the necessary compe- tency for the continuation of his literary labors, besides enjoying that training in accurate and perspicuous writ- ing for which he afterwards became noted. There can be no doubt that his work in the India House was of great value to him. It considerably enlarged his knowl- edge of social and political subjects, and in a more direct and human way than by the study of books. He was led to study mind in the concrete. His despatches had to pass the scrutiny of the directors ; then they were to be read and acted on by men living on the other side of the world — both of which facts led him to choose not only the strongest arguments, but the strongest way of putting them, Mr. W. T. Thornton, his colleague, thus describes the vast amount of his work in that re- lation :