The coronation of George IV took place in 1821; and it was already evident to rational men, two hundred years ago, that such a ceremony was ludicrous—a relic of "barbarous ages", entirely unworthy of a civilised people. James Mill, the Scottish-born radical, in a letter to his intimate friend, David Ricardo, the economist, argued that … Continue reading Mill, Ricardo, and the Folly of Tradition
Author: TH1
A Letter on Theory and History
As applied to political practice. I have seen some remarks from different Socialists which seem to place History and Theory in opposition to each other. History, they say, is what really happened: therefore it is superior to Theory. In so far as the word Theory is often (and unfortunately) used to denote any speculative or … Continue reading A Letter on Theory and History
J. S. Mill: How to Become a Philosopher
In an 1862 letter, John Stuart Mill gave the following advice to an aspiring writer: "The way to cultivate a really philosophical intellect is to go on long thinking out subjects for one’s own instruction—with a view to understand them as thoroughly as possible oneself; reading in the meanwhile whatever is best worth reading on … Continue reading J. S. Mill: How to Become a Philosopher
Integrity Restored to Government
Sir Keir Starmer promised to restore integrity to government; and after years of odious Tory corruption, the nation would have welcomed some little respite from looting and waste. But such a gift—such a pause in the depredation—Sir Keir, alas, cannot give
James Mill on Evidence
In 1826, the Westminster Review, the organ of Benthamite Radicalism, published James Mill's review of a book entitled Essays on the Formation and Publication of Opinions. The Essays were written by Samuel Bailey, a Radical who shared the commitment of Bentham, and the Mills, to rational political analysis. Bailey's argument was, that since belief is … Continue reading James Mill on Evidence
The Coconut Trial
There are occasions when a single act of public authority suffices to expose our institutions as both cruel and absurd. The prosecution of Marieha Hussain, a teacher who was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence, for holding a placard, is one such instance; and though Ms Hussain has happily been acquitted, it is … Continue reading The Coconut Trial
New article: Lammy’s See-Saw
There are assuredly complicated and troublesome questions in politics; but it never occurred to me that whether we should provide weapons for the slaughter of children, was one of them. In a slight, yet perceptible, movement toward something like sanity and reason, the foreign secretary, Mr David Lammy, last week announced that thirty arms export … Continue reading New article: Lammy’s See-Saw
New article: The Case of Julian Assange
James Mill on how the Few Oppress the Many
In an 1835 article entitled 'State of the Nation' for the London Review, the Scottish radical James Mill considered the progress of reform in Britain, and how society might be further improved. One of his objects was to illustrate how the ruling Few, throughout history, erected barriers to any reforms that might promote the interests … Continue reading James Mill on how the Few Oppress the Many
A Letter to The Observer
I have often regretted the lack of serious thought in our public discussion. Armies of commentators, apparently remunerated for their qualities as argumentative writers and conversers, are scarcely ever seen to produce coherent reasonings, or to attend to the most obvious objections to their views. Here I will examine, as but one specimen of this … Continue reading A Letter to The Observer
Notes in the Margins of the Days 