Books

First edition. 'Mill's liberal feminism may be rather tame by contemporary standards, but it still has many adherents and it was very radical in the Victorian context. At the time Mill was writing women had little realistic choice in life except to marry, and once married they had little opportunity to be anything more than homemakers; legally, they were virtually property owned by their husbands. In addition, women were entirely excluded from the political sphere (except, of course, for the Queen). Mill sought to end the subjection of women by changing the laws and, indirectly, the attitudes, that govern relations between the sexes. He called for the recognition of women's rights in his writings, particularly The Subjection of Women, and also became more directly involved in the campaign for them; in 1867 he proposed an amendment to the Second Reform Bill that would have given women the vote on the same terms as men. In 'The Subjection' Mill argued that the power which the men of his day enjoyed over women was not only a direct source of unhappiness to the latter but that in addition it had a perverting effect on the characters of both' (Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century British Philosophers, Thoemmes Press, 2002). PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 8vo, with the half-title, [iv], 188 pp., contemporary half calf, spine decorated gilt with red morocco label, marbled edges and endpapers, modern bookplate, extremities a little rubbed, no stamps or inscriptions, final leaf and endpaper lightly spotted, a fine copy.

In 'The Subjection of Women', Mill argues for the equality of the sexes and women's rights.