Abstract

Mill’s feminism has been the object of many discussions, from the publication of The Subjection of women onward, especially among feminist theory. In this article, my aim is to join the critical assessment of Mill’s feminism by considering it in regard of Harriet Taylor’s own feminist creeds. To do so, I’ll first highlight the importance of women’s emancipation in Mill’s work, as well as the boldness of his defense of women’s equality. Then, I’ll endeavor to show that despite his genuine commitment to women’s social, moral, and political emancipation, his feminism is still shaped by sexist biases, especially regarding women’s part in the family and maternity. I’ll then by able to argue that reading Mill and Taylor together allows to contend that Mill’s feminism limits cannot be ascribed to the prejudices of his era.