John Stuart Mill: A Criticism with Personal Recollections

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character, and become for the moment e
teacher or preacher addressing a sympathet
ic audience.
As far as his main purpose is concern
ed, the reference to the Christian morality
belongs to the first branch of the argument
and might have been included there; that
first branch containing to my mind the reel
strength of the contention for Freedom of
Thought,
The second half of the book is on
Liberty of Conduct, as against the re
straints of our social customs. This is
introduced _by a chapter on Individuality,
considered as one of the elements of wellbeing.
Excellent as are many of the
author s remarks, there are various open
ings for criticism. The chief thing that
strikes me is the want of a steedy__yjLgw
of the essentials of""humc.n happiness. I
shall have to notice again the defe~cts of
Mill s Hedonistic philosophy. I think
that he greatly exaggerates the differ
ences between human beings r.s regardSLihe
conditions of heppiness. The community
| of structure in our corporeal and mental
framework far exceeds the disparities.
There ere certain easily stated requisites,
in the possession of which no one could be
very unhappy ;fwhile the specialities
needed to impart to a given individual the
highest degree of felicity, are seldomer
withheld by the tyranny of custom, than
_by causes that society cannot control^
Mill pleads strongly for the energetic
natures, for the exuberance of spontaneity
and strong impulses. But energy, as Bufch>