James Mill's Parenting Methods

 

A Father Who Raised His Son to Be a Great Political Philosopher

James Mill, originally from Scotland, is more famously known as the father of John Stuart Mill. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh and worked as a journalist in London. Although he had some expertise in economics and authored books, he did not see great success, as his son John Stuart Mill later recalled. However, he devoted extraordinary effort to educating his son, which is why John Stuart Mill became one of the most prominent political philosophers in Britain. Let’s take a look at James Mill’s approach to educating his son.

James Mill

Early Gifted Education for His Son

A "gifted" person is someone who demonstrates exceptional ability. Current educational theories suggest that even ordinary children can become gifted with dedicated early education from their parents, leading to the widespread practice of early education. James Mill can be considered a pioneer of such education. His approach, however, was different from today’s methods. When his son was just three years old, James Mill began teaching him Greek, and by the age of seven, John Stuart Mill could read Plato’s Dialogues. At eight, he started learning Latin, enabling him to study numerous literary and historical works. By the age of twelve, he was studying logic and economics. To prevent his son from becoming conceited due to his linguistic prowess, James Mill imposed strict discipline and limited his interactions with friends. As a result, John Stuart Mill never considered himself a genius and consistently studied hard, aiming to earn his father's approval, which laid the foundation for his future as a distinguished scholar.

 

John Stuart Mill, Son of James Mill

Teaching His Expertise During Walks

James Mill would often use their walking time to lecture his son on political economy. John Stuart Mill would compile what he learned into reports, which were then reviewed by his father. These reports later became the drafts for James Mill’s published work Elements of Political Economy. David Ricardo, a close friend of James Mill, would frequently invite John Stuart Mill for walks to discuss political economy. John Stuart Mill described his father’s teaching methods as follows:

"The method was outstanding for fostering the development of a thinker, but it required a person as meticulous and vigorous as my father to be successfully implemented. Even for him, it was like clearing a path through thorns, and while I was genuinely interested in the subject, it was no less thorny for me. There were many times I couldn’t grasp the concepts immediately, which often caused my father undue frustration. However, overall, his methods were correct and successful. I believe that no scientific education could have been more thorough or suited to developing one’s faculties than the way he taught me logic and political economy. By making me find things out for myself, he went to great lengths to stimulate my abilities, sometimes excessively so. He would refrain from providing explanations until I fully felt the challenge before me. This way, not only did he pass on all the knowledge of logic and political economy known at the time, but he also shaped me into an independent thinker in those fields. I was able to develop my own opinions almost from the beginning and sometimes disagreed with my father. Most differences were minor and eventually, I would accept his views as the standard, but later on, I occasionally persuaded him to change his mind on some details. I mention this not for my own praise but to honor my father’s honesty and the true value of his teaching methods." — John Stuart Mill, Autobiography

James Mill’s method of teaching his son logic and economics was rigorous, and even John Stuart Mill acknowledged this. Although James Mill might not have known the cognitive benefits of walking, which helps memory retention, he leveraged their walks to teach and discuss his field thoroughly, ensuring his son mastered it. James Mill’s educational approach could be seen as extreme, but it was a method that required parents to be knowledgeable and committed to teaching their children.

 

John Stuart Mill received a perfect education under his father James Mill. Although some aspects might seem excessive from a modern perspective, the education was successful because John Stuart Mill enjoyed his father's lessons. Few parents have ever shown such devotion and passion for educating their children as James Mill did.

 

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