约翰·密尔是19世纪英国自由主义和功利主义的代表人物,自由和功利是他思考各种社会问题的核心标准。密尔在自由主义基础上论证了功利主义的基本原则,提出个人利益与社会利益、个人幸福与全体幸福的有机结合;同时,他强调教育是谋求“最大多数人的最大幸福”的主要途径,要求政府承担国民教育的职责,但他不主张政府过多干预教育。从总体上看,密尔功利主义是边沁功利主义的延续和修正,但其思想带有明显的折中主义特征。 John Mill is a representative figure of British liberalism and utilitarianism in the 19th century. Freedom and utilitarianism are the core standards in his thinking on various social issues. On the basis of liberalism, Mill expounds the basic principles of utilitarianism and puts forward the organic combination of personal and social interests, personal happiness and overall happiness. At the same time, he emphasizes that education is the major factor in seeking “the greatest happiness of the majority” Way, requiring the government to assume the responsibility of national education, but he does not advocate excessive government intervention in education. On the whole, Mill’s utilitarianism is the continuation and revision of Bentham’s utilitarianism, but its thought has obvious characteristics of eclecticism.