John Stuart Mill’s robust egalitarianism

Sven Ove Hansson

The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 2026, vol. 33, issue 3, 485-520

Abstract: Although John Stuart Mill provided no systematic account of equality, there is extensive textual evidence in his writings of an overarching egalitarian standpoint, which he applied consistently in a wide variety of contexts. Mill had a strong belief in the equal inborn capacities of all human beings. He was convinced that a more equal society could and should be realised, but it required a general moral improvement that would be a slow and gradual process. The major limitation on short-term egalitarian reforms was, in modern terminology, that they should not disrupt the incentives needed to keep the economy going.

Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1080/09672567.2025.2509530

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