John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) The ‘Limited God’ PhD Edit

A. John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) The ‘Limited God’ PhD Edit

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John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), Wilson (2007: 1) is a well-known British philosopher, economist, political and social theorist, and empiricist. Fred Wilson suggests Mill’s views on empiricism and liberal political views on society and culture are among the most effective in modern thought. Wilson (2007: 1). 

Blackburn states Mill is ‘the most influential liberal thinker of the nineteenth century.’ Blackburn (1996: 243). He is the son of Scottish philosopher James Mill (1773-1836). Carey (2002: 115). 

George W. Carey (2002) writes that John Stuart Mill reasoned that traditional Christianity needed to be replaced and Mill introduced a concept of a ‘limited God.’ Carey (2002: 115). Mill reasons there is a ‘final cause’ that appears to be God working within the natural order, Mill (1833)(1985)(2009: 7). But this God was not omnipotent and had limited powers that were incapable of bringing about the full reality of what God wanted. Mill within Theism from 1833 explains that there could be no real belief in a ‘Creator and Governor’ until humankind had begun to understand the confused phenomena which existed around them. Carey (2002: 116). Humanity must bring itself out of the chaos and confusion of reality to have a workable system in able to work out ‘a single plan.’ Mill (1833)(1985)(2009: 6). This type of world was anticipated ‘by individuals of exceptional genius’ but could only become true after a long period of scientific examination and thought. Mill (1833)(1985)(2009: 6). Mill desired to replace the God of Christianity with a Religion of Humanity. Mill (1874)(2002: 16). He reasoned traditional Christianity had been overrated in its promotion of human virtue and morality in society. Carey (2002: 114).The Christian God was not the actual creator of the world.

Mill theorized of a God that resembled the ‘Platonic Demiurge.’ A demiurge is a Greek term meaning ‘artisan’, ‘craftsman.’ It is a deity that develops the material world from ‘preexisting chaos.’ Plato introduced the concept and term in his text Timaeus. The perfectly good demiurge wishes to present his goodness and shapes the chaos as best he can, and the present world results. Wainwright (1996: 188). The demiurge is a limited, non-omnipotent God, that did not create original matter. Wainwright (1996: 188). Blackburn (1996: 98). This God did not measure up to the highest human morality and was not concerned with the greatest possible happiness for the greatest possible number of human beings. Carey (2002: 116). Mill likely thought Christianity was a false religion which limited the freedom of persons. Gordon (2000: 2).

Since God was so limited, it was up to humanity to bring about greater human happiness. However, Mill still reasoned that God as is, without omnipotence, would have intelligence and power beyond that of human beings. Mill (1833)(1985)(2009: 24). Mill embraced a type of secular altruism and a selfless concern for society as a whole as opposed to concerns with personal salvation for the typical person. Within Mill’s philosophy there was room within the world for human beings to improve it and the for persons within it to improve. Mill desires to philosophically develop a positive view on the material universe and the place of human beings within it. Within The Utility of Religion which was published in 1874, after his death in 1873, Mill reasons the improvements that have taken place in humanity and that will continue to proceed over time should produce religion with the best human morality. Mill (1874)(2002: 3).

The religious goodness can be reasoned out from ‘philosophical, Christian, or any other elements.’ Mill (1874)(2002: 3). Modern religion, once it has freed itself from the questionable consequences of concepts of bad doctrine, can be examined for its philosophical usefulness. Religious belief should serve as an instrument of social goodness for humanity.

Mill’s views strike me as being influential within modern secular thought, and modern western religious concepts. I can support, in limited terms, human effort to understand reality and improve human conditions. Indeed humanity should come together as much as possible to develop a plan in order to benefit all of humanity. I would not support a ‘Religion of Humanity,’ but do favour persons of various religious and non-religious backgrounds working together for human benefit.

Mill rejects Christianity and traditional Christian doctrine concerning omnipotence. Mill’s deity is similar to the ‘Platonic Demiurge’ and this deity simply develops matter from preexisting chaos and therefore would not only be limited in power but also finite in nature. Mill supports a concept of a first cause idea: Mill (1833)(1985)(2009: 10), as in a series of events: Mill (1833)(1985)(2009: 7), but this leaves the nagging question and problem of what was the cause of the Demiurge? 

An infinite eternal God can be understood as the first cause not needing a cause. A finite deity, although admittedly logically possible, requires further explanation. If the being is not revealed through Scriptural revelation, it is a God of primarily philosophical speculation and requires further elaboration on the part of Mill in regard to, for instance, why humanity should believe in and follow this type of deity, assuming that there is not a greater, infinite, eternal first cause that would necessarily exist behind that being.

BARTH, KARL (1932-1968) Church Dogmatics, The Doctrine of Creation: Volumes 1 and 3. Translated by J.W. Edwards, Rev. O. Bussey, and Rev. Harold Knight, Edinburgh, T. and T. Clark.

BARTH, KARL (1932-1968) Church Dogmatics, The Doctrine of God: Volume 2, First Half –Volume, Translated by J.W. Edwards, Rev. O. Bussey, and Rev. Harold Knight, Edinburgh, T. and T. Clark.

BAVINCK, HERMAN (1918)(2006) Reformed Dogmatics Volume 2: God and Creation, John Bolt (gen.ed.), Translated by John Vriend, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids.

BAVINCK, HERMAN (1918)(2006) Reformed Dogmatics Volume 3: Sin and Salvation in Christ, John Bolt (gen.ed.), Translated by John Vriend, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids.

BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

CAREY, GEORGE W. (2002) ‘The Authoritarian Secularism of John Stuart Mill’, in On Raeder’s Mill and the Religion of Humanity, Volume 15, Number 1, Columbia, University of Missouri Press.

FRAME, JOHN M. (2002) The Doctrine of God, P and R Publishing, Phillipsburg, New Jersey.

GORDON, DAVID (2000) ‘John Stuart Mill on Liberty and Control’, in The Mises Review, Volume 6, Number 1, Auburn, Alabama, Ludwig Von Mises Institute.

MILL, JOHN STUART (1789-1861)(2003) Utilitarianism and On Liberty, Mary Warnock (ed.), Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.

MILL, JOHN STUART (1825-1868)(1984) Essays on Equality, Law, and Education, John M. Robson (ed.), University of Toronto Press, Toronto, University of Toronto Press.

MILL, JOHN STUART (1833)(1985)(2009) Theism: John Stuart Mill The Collected Works of John Stuart Mill, Volume X - Essays on Ethics, Religion, and Society, Toronto, University of Toronto Press.

MILL, JOHN STUART (1874)(2002) The Utility of Religion, London, Longman, Green, and Reader.

MILL, JOHN STUART (1874)(1885) Nature the Utility of Religion and Theism, London, Longmans, Green and Co.

POJMAN, LOUIS P. (1996) Philosophy: The Quest for Truth, New York, Wadsworth Publishing Company.

SHEDD, WILLIAM G.T. (1874-1890)(1980) Dogmatic Theology, Volume 1, Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers.

SHEDD, WILLIAM G.T. (1874-1890)(1980) Dogmatic Theology, Volume 2, Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers.

WAINWRIGHT, WILLIAM J. (1996) ’Demiurge’, in Robert Audi, (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

WILSON, FRED (1996) ‘James Mill’, in Robert Audi, (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 

WILSON, FRED (1996) ‘John Stuart Mill’, in Robert Audi, (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

WILSON, FRED (2007) ‘John Stuart Mill’, in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Palo Alto, California, Stanford University.


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July 2, 2011: Understanding the Problem of Evil


This graph is from my PhD. It is perhaps useful is regard to understanding on a small scale how people may learn about the problem of evil.

Saturday, September 19, 2020: PhD Full Version PDF: Theodicy and Practical Theology 2010, Wales TSD

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This article was originally published July 7, 2011, and is edited from my PhD thesis. The article was later revised, deleting some additional non-related content, for an entry on academia.edu on November 4, 2023.