ABSTRACT
Agricultural production in England was transformed during the eighteenth century by the growth of urban markets. The English home market was large, and since English foreign policy and naval power had already given the country an enormous lead in overseas trade, extensive foreign markets were open in Africa, South America and even India. The enormous increase of productivity which was achieved by the Industrial Revolution was thus accompanied by a drastic deterioration in the conditions of life for large sections of the population. The starting point of a philosophy of society had to be individuals and their feelings, and the institutions of society and the state could be justified only in so far as they brought pleasure to individuals. The social philosophy of J. S. Mill is sometimes called social liberalism because it combines a traditional liberal individualism with a concern for the political rights and the personal development and liberty of all.
