MILL, JOHN STUART.

Three Essays on Religion. (Nature, Utility of Religion and Theism)

London, Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, 1874.

8vo. In publisher's original embossed cloth-binding with gilt lettering to spine. Spine-ends chipped and hinges weak. Previous owner's name to front free end-paper. Internally nice and clean. XI, 257, (3) pp.

First edition of Mill work on religion. "Mill was somewhat cagey on this subject, both in public discourse - he refused to answer questions about his religious beliefs while running for Parliament - and in his writings. In correspondence Mill said that he had never had a belief in God. He did write that there is enough evidence for a divine designer/creator in nature to 'afford a large balance of probability in favour of creation by intelligence', yet he added that it was possible that a recently proposed alternative explanation for this evidence might turn out to be a better one. He was adamant that the existence of evil in the world established that no being could exist who was both omnipotent and perfectly morally good. Mill had a tremendous amount of respect for the moral teachings of Jesus, which he saw as only one part of a complete morality, but he believed that these teachings had been perverted by modern Christianity' (Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century British Philosophers, Bristol, Thoemmes Press, 2002).

Order-nr.: 61821