J. S. Mill's Political Thought on Reform: Philosophical Radicals on Democracy

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13416
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 06010:Politics-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University (2022-2023); Doshisha University (2020-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Murata Minami 京都大学, 白眉センター, 特定助教 (30823299)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: J. S. ミル / デモクラシー / 代議制民主主義 / 政治改革 / 哲学的急進派

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project examined J. S. Mill's political thought on reform by considering the intellectual context of democratic theories argued by the philosophical radicals in nineteenth-century Britain. To identify that his ideas were deeply connected to the practical aim of reforming society, the main period of analysis was set from the First Reform Act of 1832 to the Second Reform Act of 1867. His thought was characterised by the political controversy among the conservatives, the liberals and the radicals. The results indicated that what Mill argued differed from the parliamentary reform proposals delivered by his fellows, namely Bentham, J. Mill and G. Grote. One of the distinct elements was his vision of liberal democracy, shaped in response to the prevailing times.

Free Research Field

西洋政治思想史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、一人の思想家（J. S. ミル）を主題としながらも、彼を取り巻く言説空間の解明を同時に試みた。その結果、ミルのみならず、彼の属した哲学的急進派や彼らの論敵との比較を行うことで、19世紀初頭から後半にかけてのブリテンの議会政治の一側面がミルの政治思想から析出された。ここに、一定の学術的意義が確認され得る。さらに、ミルは選挙制度など政治・社会の様々な改革を支持したが、そのいくつかは現代の日本や諸外国の民主主義を支える基礎を構成しており、民主的な政治の健全な運用に必要な諸要素について、歴史的に理解するための手かがりを提供する意義があったと捉えられる。