The Autobiography of John Stuart Mill · Character

Jeremy Bentham

The utilitarian philosopher whose doctrines Mill absorbed as a boy, and whose fortune and fame underwrote the radical review that carried those doctrines into print.

supporting

Also known as Mr. Bentham, Bentham

First appearance: Childhood and Early Education (1806–1819)

As a supporting figure in The Autobiography of John Stuart Mill, Jeremy Bentham is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Mentioned as a friend of James Mill; his work on legislation is referenced in the context of Mill's early reading.

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Bentham is the intellectual patron of Mill's circle: he funds the Westminster Review at his own cost and hands its editorship to Bowring when Mill's father declines. His system gives the young Mill a creed and a cause, but its cold arithmetic of utility will later feel like a cage. He matters because the book's central drama—Mill outgrowing the philosophy he was raised on—begins with Bentham's shadow.

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Character Web

3 connections

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Character groups

Mill's Intellectual Circle
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this passage, the narrative reaches its dramatic climax as Mill describes the shattering of his lifelong ps…

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Relationships

John Stuart Mill
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In the story

Jeremy Bentham appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Childhood and Early Education (1806–1819)
Mentioned as a friend of James Mill; his work on legislation is referenced in the context of Mill's early reading.
II
Mentioned indirectly through the context of his father's philosophical circle, though not directly named in this chapter.
III
His amanuensis allowed the Utilitarian Society to meet in Bentham's house; his doctrines were central to the group's discussions.
Chapter IV
Mentioned as supporting women's suffrage against James Mill's view, and as the author of the Rationale of Judicial Evidence which Mill edited.
Crisis in My Mental History: One Stage Onward
Mentioned as the philosopher whose work inspired Mill's early reformist zeal.
VI
Mentioned as a foundational influence whose philosophy Mill sought to broaden.
VII
Referenced in context of Mill's earlier Benthamism and subsequent reaction against it.

Chapter companion notes

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