Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book follows the rise of James Mill’s reputation with the History of British India to its decline with the essays in Encyclopaedia Britannica. It identifies the main elements of the caricature of Mill. The book examines classical education in Scotland to identify some prevailing trends in classical reception. It discusses Mill’s response to the “common expression” that “Theory” stood in opposition to “Practice”. The book focuses on his contributions to two debates: on the education of the poor in the 1810s and on parliamentary reform in the 1820s. Tracking Mill’s arguments in these debates, it suggests that his method was that of “rational persuasion”. The book aims to propose a different reading of Mill’s essay on government.