Summary
The Subjection of Women by John Stuart Mill, published in 1869, is a groundbreaking feminist philosophical work that argues for legal, social, and political equality between women and men.
Written in collaboration with his wife, Harriet Taylor Mill, the essay critiques the deeply entrenched patriarchal norms of Victorian society and challenges the assumption that women are naturally inferior to men.
Mill asserts that the subordination of women is not a natural state, but a relic of past power structures enforced by law and custom.
He compares the condition of women to that of slaves and argues that true liberty and progress cannot be achieved without the emancipation of half the human race.
He supports women's right to education, employment, and, most controversially at the time, the right to vote and participate fully in public life. Drawing from utilitarian principles, Mill contends that society as a whole benefits when all individuals, regardless of gender, are free to develop their capacities.
The Subjection of Women is considered one of the earliest and most important texts in the history of feminist thought, laying intellectual groundwork for future movements for women's suffrage and gender equality.