Abstract
This chapter demonstrates that, although Mill's way of arguing is not always crystal-clear, many of his arguments in the Subjection of Women can be saved if replaced in their historical context and related to other aspects of his thought. It argues that the criticisms levelled at Mill's plea for women's emancipation are most of the time misguided for three different reasons. Firstly, most critics do not pay enough attention to the various ways in which Mill appealed to the concept of 'human nature' to support his views. Secondly, an assessment of the arguments developed in the Subjection of Women benefits from taking into account the argumentative strategy Mill adopted to get a fair hearing for his message. Thirdly, the failure of the ethological project brought about a change in Mill's approach to the sexual equality issue, which eventually resulted in the specific argumentative structure of the Subjection of Women.Keywords: Subjection of Women; sexual equality; women's emancipation
Published Version
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