The philosopher John Stuart Mill (1860 – 1873(?)) was the conscience of liberalism. While supporting the activist morality of utilitarianism, he focused again on the fundamental issue of individual freedom. In his essay On Liberty, Mill argued for respecting the absolute liberty of the individual, despite the pressures of communitarian needs. Free speech, for example, must remain at all times, even if the speaker gives voice to ideas that are dangerous, offensive, or wrong. I thought about Mill after Jennifer Ferguson left a comment on this post (see comments 14-16) addressing a comment I made. I believe I stated that our values change, which is good, as society progresses. Of course, she was concerned with my usage of values, as I equated it to being open minded. Thus, we discussed the role of faith and the state, as they relate to the concept of liberalism. I hope to write a more serious piece about this topic and our discussion.
With Mill being an advocate of liberalism, he further championed the political rights of women, based on the same assumption of individual liberties, a concept that liberals adhere to. In his On the Subjection of Women, Mill’s feminism was clear as he addressed in a conceptual manner his long relationship with Harriet Taylor. They wrote some of the most passionate love letters known to western society outside of John and Abigail Adams. Mill’s relationship with his wife proved to be important to his advocating for female sufferage. Of course, this is the intellectual side of male/female relationships. You always have the not so sophisticated side as well. Unlike my AP European History class, my AP US class spend time discussing why being Southern is not a popular thing these days. Well, below is an example of the Southern view of Mill and Taylor’s love.
Below, my friend and former CAC colleague Anita Davis sent this to me.
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Marriage counseling “Southern Style”… Two guys from Hawkinsville are quietly sitting in a boat at a pond in Pulaski County Georgia fishing and drinking a Big Orange and eating a MoonPie, when suddenly Bubba says, “I think I’m going to divorce my wife – she hasn’t spoken to me in over 2 months.” Earl slowly sips on his Big Orange, thinks on it a while and says, “You better think it over – women like that are hard to find!”
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Carson,
You are an odd duck. Only you would compare intellectual love to southern love. You left Bill and Hilary Clinton off. That is an American love story.
I would wager that since love is a verb, then it has to be largely intellectual. You have to ostensibly practice it, not just feel happy and see pretty butterflies.
I was just discussing the love as a verb issue with a colleague. I was telling her how many of my former Harding buddies are now divorced. I think it is only natural that we as people like the “new” feeling of being in love. It is very exciting. What people do not understand, or elect not to comprehend is the fact that love is a complex process that evolves beyond the butterflies. Thisngs do change after 10, 15, 20, even 30 years. But, that change is not bad, just mature. Trust me, I am still learning this.
For the record, I am not saying that people divorce because they no longer are “in love.”
Relationships are too complex for that.
How about the president of the confederacy and his wife? I think it was Jeff Davis. I would like to read their letters.