John Stuart Mill: A Criticism with Personal Recollections

I 4 S OFFICIAL DUTIES A DRAWBACK. 1849-1872.
It was remarked by De Morgan, that if Newton had remained
at Cambridge, Mathematical Science might have been advanced
a century. So, if the two Mills had been wholly exempted
from official work, I have little doubt that all the speculative
portions of Logic, Psychology, Politics, and Political Economy
would have been put forward at least a generation. It so
happened that their official duties opened up for them a sphere
of public usefulness, and perhaps made them more practical in
their views ; but, if they had been freed from all such labours,
which perhaps others could have performed with the benefit of
their lights, they would have given an impetus to speculation
much beyond what we can now assign to them. By endeavour
ing to combine work for a livelihood with original research in
philosophy, they brought upon themselves premature exhaustion,
and vitiated their theories of life by shaping them under the
perverting influence of shattered frames.
It is now time to turn to the Moral side of Mill s character.
In what has been said on his intellect, moral and emotional
elements have been assumed. The general impression made
on the world by this part of his character has been highly
favourable, on the whole. The generosity of his disposition
manifested itself in many forms, and in high degrees ; while it
also had its limitations.
The entire total of the emotional aspect of human character
comprehends the whole circle of sensibilities, tastes, likings, and
the way that those are modified by sympathy and the sense of
duty. These are the motives to action, and their relative
strength and preponderance can be best judged by action or
conduct. Nevertheless, we must, as I conceive, take account
of Activity as a separate and independent factor, and form some
estimate of it on its account. I said, with reference to James
Mill, that Intellect and Will were dominant over Feeling.
Perhaps, of the son, we may say that there was a more nearly
equal balance of all the three functions. The element of Will,