Literature Summary: “The Subjection of Women.”

John Stuart Mill

(1806 – 1873)

Who Is He?

            

John Stuart Mill was best known for his radical philosophy on the rights of the individual, work on the tyranny of the majority, and women’s rights.  He was also known for his thoughts on political economy and his social activism. 

Important Works

The following list is in no way complete.  Mill was constantly writing, these works are some of his most major projects and accomplishments.

“Tyranny of the Majority”

“Social Liberty”

“The Negro Question” – An argument with Thomas Carlyle on the question of slavery

“Utilitarianism”

“On Liberty”

“The Subjection of Women”

“The Subjection of Women.”

(1869)

Chapter 1

“Men do not want solely the obedience of women, they want their sentiments. All men, except the most brutish, desire to have, in the woman most nearly connected with them, not a forced slave but a willing one, not a slave merely, but a favourite. They have therefore put everything in practice to enslave their minds. The masters of all other slaves rely, for maintaining obedience, on fear; either fear of themselves, or religious fears.”

           

           Mill begins his argument by stating one of the major hindrances to human development and progress is the subordination of one person to another.  In order to overcome this dilemma is of course the opposite of subordination, and that is equality.  In the first few pages of chapter one, Mill points out three factors in the hindrance that he spoke on previously that of power, religion, and government.  Granted, power is abused in many forms other than just religion and government, but in the case of women, husband’s abuse so called power as well. 

            In the case of religion, religion has been oppressing women and suppressing their rights for quite some time now.  Mill reminds us that religion exercises the power to send thousands to their deaths in wars and through sacrificing, it takes away from people at the prime of their lives and forces them to live in poverty, fasting, and prayer shut up in convents.  Religion has the power to force husbands to give up their wives.  Mill defines religion as an instrument of conflict and it has little power to stop wars and prevent others from being cruel to one another, especially in this case against women.  Mill does not forget to include governments in this case either.  He defines government, in particular in this case kings, as an instrument that is supposed to stop the conflict that religion is unable to stop itself, but says that kings are unable to do this either.  Kings are unable to put a stop to conflict because of greed and the thirst for more power and control as in the case of religion and its inability.  Mill hypothesizes that in order to put an end to the chaotic tug of war of power is to establish complete equality; equality in power, rights, and free national institutions. 

            Mill attacks those that believe in the power of force and superiority.  Speaking on the case of women, Mill ties slavery of the southern United States into the argument.  Slave owners in the United States believed that the African slave was given to them by heaven and earth.  Slave owners argued that slaves were incapable of freedom and should not get it.  At the same time Mill argues that this same belief by slave owners also is applied to the brave and strong when they think it is their station in life to have power, authority, and master status over the weak of the species.  As a result of these tied in subjects Mill states this is the reason to women being subjected by men.  Men believe that women should not have their freedom because they do not need it; men adopt a “master” status when it comes to women.

            Women have had a consistent method to fight against their oppression and that is through writing.  Their works have culminated in them fighting for suffrage through petitioning parliament.  Mill explains that freedom is often not obtained all at once, but through time.  Initial complaints are seldom about power itself, but rather about oppression in general. 

            Mill disagrees with the opposite way in which children are raised.  Females are raised to think they must do everything in opposite to their male counterparts; largely they are taught how to submit to the authority and superiority of males.  Depending on how women present their level of submission increases their sexual appeal to men. Women, Mill theorizes, increase in sexual attraction when they are meek, submissive, and give up their freedom to men. 

            With the amount of power men have over women; women’s rights and safety decline.  As a result of this power, governments make laws defining this power and enforce these laws over women so they dare not challenge the power of their male masters and overseers.  Even in the case of extreme mistreatment and abuse, women will seldom dare to escape the clutches of their male master.  Government laws over women are established so as to dissuade any idea of collective rebellion. 

            Mill warns the progressing society of complacency, though women are gaining equality, this does not mean that women have achieved complete equality.  Equality should be a constant endeavor and objective by those that seek its establishment in society.  He further warns men of their ignorance of history and error in thought when they claim they know the thoughts of women simply because of amatory relations.  Because men have a sexual encounter with a woman therefore they must know exactly how women think, Mill rejects this thinking error.  This is the case because subordination and affection will not allow for perfect understanding of women for men.  If men want to understand women better than they do then they must improve the treatment of women with total equality; oppression and subordination must be cast out. 

            Men are disgusted with women and their increasing literary skills because their only vocation should be that of wife and mother.  If women refuse to get married than it is necessary to compel them to with laws and force.  Laws and force come from men, government, and religion.  In the case of religion and government, they are both ran by men, essentially men use those two institutions to further their own interests and make up rules, commandments, and laws to force women into marital servitude. 

Chapter 2      

“Absolute fiends are as rare as angels, perhaps rarer: ferocious savages, with occasional touches of humanity, are however very frequent.”               

            

             Mill continues in chapter 2 his discussion on marriage by talking about men and religion being a compelling factor for women in the marriage relationship.  For more desirable women, men and religion will compel her into marriage with the only escape being life in a convent.  The church does little to nothing to curb forced marriages.  They do ask for a direct yes from the bride, but the bride is forced to be there nonetheless. 

            After the bride enters marriage she is expected to be entirely obedient to her husband without question.  Mill argues this arrangement is worse than the relationship a slave has with their master.  The slave his often not attached to the master all day, the slave often is able to live a short life other than to purely be a slave to a master.  He is able to come home and have a family on his own.  A woman on the other hand is forced to be at her husband’s side at all times.  She becomes his entertainment.  Her treatment is poor by her husband master.  He is able to do all manner of vile things to her through force.  At times, if he so chooses, she is raped by him and treated no better than an animal.  She is not allowed to have property.  All of her possessions at the time of marriage are forcefully surrendered to him, after marriage she will no longer have possessions of her own, all things will belong to her husband.

            In relation to children that the husband and wife had together, they do not belong to her only to him.  He alone has the power of life and death over his children, his final word over them is law, and she has no control over them.  If she chooses to leave her husband master she will lose her children for good and will not be allowed to see them.  Often the husband has the power to compel her to return, in particular through force.  A man is protected by law to essentially do whatever he wants to and with his wife excepting murder, though there have been many cases where the husband is not found out or convicted. 

            The place for women is in the home and as a result society will not tolerate a woman who over steps her bounds in this respect.  Accordingly, she is taught from a very impressionable and young age that her only business is to helping her husband further title, helping her son gain societal advantage and prominence, and she will be charged with raising her daughters to think as she thinks, that she is answerable to men.  As a result of the husband to wife relationship, Mill asks the question, if there is a disagreement between the two whose decision is the outcome?  Of course Mill argues that the man’s decision and position in the argument prevails. 

            In his conclusion of chapter 2 which is largely dedicated to the institution of marriage, Mill urges those who engage in marriage to let it be a marriage of equality rather than of obedience.  It is justifiable to state that Mill’s vision of marriage is a social construct based on love, equality, on respect and all sincerity.    

Chapter 3   

   

            “Even if every woman were a wife, and if every wife ought to be a slave, all the more would these slaves stand in need of legal protection: and we know what legal protection the slaves have, where the laws are made by their masters.”

            Mill begins by stating a generality that men cannot tolerate the idea of living with an equal.  Mill combats this idea by drawing in many historical examples where women were successful in male dominated spheres in particular in ruling. 

…

Deborah: 

She became famous for her peoples belief in her prophetic skills.  She is the only female judge mentioned in the Bible for her talents at military command.  The Jewish Virtual Library argues that Deborah is perhaps the Bible’s greatest female example. 

Joan of Arc:

In roughly 600 years later we still remember her name.  Her name was immortalized by her actions and through literally the tens of thousands written on just her by many authors, especially by the more famous of authors like Shakespeare, Twain, and Voltaire just to name a few.  At just 16 years of age, Joan of Arc claims to have been called by God to deliver France from her enemy, England.  Her actions, bravery, and defiance to rigid gender norms literally changed the course to the 100 Years War with England.  She was eventually was captured and sold to the English where she was put in prison and tortured.  As a result of her not denouncing communication with God and heaven, she was burned at the stake.  She was canonized in 1920 by the Catholic Church.  Her inspiration is far reaching even into the current time.

Queen Elizabeth I:

Queen Elizabeth was known as the Virgin Queen for her refusal to marry and allow a man to control her possessions, life, and her country.  She was an independent and strong woman.  She was highly intelligent, she was fluent in 6 languages and she had a sharp political mind, something she no doubt gained for herself and inherited from her father King Henry VIII and mother Queen Anne Boleyn.  Her long and enduring reign is considered one of the greatest in England’s history.  Her reign was one fraught with uncertainties and her throne was always under threat by internal and external enemies; enemies that she crushed with political strategy, military might, and loyal aids.  Arts in England also flourished; she personally attended the first ever showing of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”  Her reign lasted for 45 years.        

Queen Victoria: 

Young Victoria was crowned the Queen of England at the age of 18.  Queen Victoria ruled England at the height of empire.  At her death it was said the sun never set on the English empire.  She ruled a vast empire that progressed industrially and economically.  Unfortunately, much like Deborah, Joan of Arc, and Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria’s life was also fraught with dangers as she endured at least 7 attempts on her life.  Through hard work, and enduring the death of her close husband, she showed the country that she was up to the challenge of exerting influence throughout the realm.  With the rise of Constitutional Monarchy she still worked hard to let the voice of the monarch be heard.  She was the first English monarch to travel by train.  Her reign of 64 years was the longest in Britain’s history. 

…

            Granted he just slightly touched on them more information was added for each great woman in history individually to give more justice to their accomplishments and to their names.  The women above are just some women that Mill briefs touches on in this great work. 

            Mill uses these examples to prove women are just as capable as men in succeeding in political life, which disproves the myth that women are no capable of ruling or being involved in politics.  He explains women are self-educated and learn independently as they are often forced to do as a result of discrimination in education. 

            Mill also addresses the pitiful myth that men are more intelligent than women because of their smaller brain.  Mill states this belief is often credited to women being physically smaller; as a result women must be less intelligent than men, for men are larger.  Mill draws larger men into the argument and states because these men are larger than they must be more intelligent than all other men, and likely so is an elephant vastly more intelligent than that of a man because elephants vastly outweighs human men.  Essentially, Mill sees this argument as tremendously absurd.  Fortunately for the future development, women are beginning to test the waters of science, art, and philosophy.  No doubt, Mill is proud of the fact that many women are getting involved in those fields. 

            Mill explains women are behind in many things because often marriage and family duties take her away from doing more and learning more; she is at the disposal of everybody.  Finally, Mill urges men to get involved in the struggle for women’s equality, to fight to improve life for women.

Chapter 4      

            “If there is anything vitally important to the happiness of human beings, it is that they should relish their habitual pursuit.”

            Mill tackles male privilege by addressing that boys are brought up to believe they are superior in every way of their female opposites.  They are born to a privileged lifestyle compared to females, a privileged lifestyle gained purely upon the sex they were born as.  Kings are drawn into this analysis.  Kings, by being born a King, think themselves superior in every way to all of his subjects, just as nobles do to theirs, and men to their wives.  Mill points out a better sense of superiority not found in birth but by hard work and personal achievement. 

            Towards the final chapter of this work, Mill, explains the benefits of equality.         

Where to read on the Internet:

Constitution.org

Fordham University