Intelligence, Reason, and Debate Theme Analysis

Although The Subjection of Women covers the issue of women’s rights in general, Mill is particularly interested in the issues of women’s intellect and rational capacity. He notes that women are intelligent and reasonable enough to advocate for themselves, but because they are often prevented from advocating for themselves in the public sphere, he will join the debate in support of women’s rights. Furthermore, he acknowledges that women’s restricted access to education may make them seem less intelligent, but this isn’t actually the case. By persuasively demonstrating that women are just as intelligent and rational as men, Mill makes a compelling case that women should be allowed to vote, hold political office, and make contributions to art and knowledge.

One of the reasons why Mill places such emphasis on intelligence and reason is because, as he illustrates in the book, women’s supposed intellectual inferiority is a commonly cited reason for why they are afforded fewer rights than men. Mill rejects the idea that women are less intelligent than men, arguing that people are becoming increasingly aware that such a notion is a myth. He suggests that one of the reasons why this myth has persisted for so long is because “the generality of the male sex cannot yet tolerate the idea of living with an equal.” They have ignored the evident reality that women are just intelligent as them because they don’t want it to be true. The problem is not women’s lack of intelligence, but men’s selfishness, stubbornness, and willful ignorance. Mill gives several other convincing reasons why the myth that women are less intelligent has been allowed to persist—the most significant of which is that women are prevented from accessing the same educational opportunities as men. Yet even the few women who do manage to get an education face further obstacles. For example, Mill points out that women are not able to present their views properly because the risk of upsetting men (who have almost total control over the public sphere and the terms of the debate) is too great. “As yet very few of them [women] dare tell anything, which men, on whom their literary success depends, are unwilling to hear.” The result of this hesitancy means that people can continue to claim that women are passive, unintelligent, and that they even enjoy being subjugated by men. Mill notes, however, that more women are now steadily expressing objections to their second-class status: “Ever since there have been women able to make their sentiments known by their writings (the only mode of publicity which society permits to them), an increasing number of them have recorded protests against their present social condition.” Again, Mill notes that while there is far less written evidence that women dislike their subjugation than there would be if women had more resources and opportunities, he emphasizes that the fact that such evidence exists at all highlights that women are intelligent, rational, and capable of debate. According to his logic, this means that women are also worthy of equal rights. There is also a personal element to Mill’s discussion of women’s access to expression and debate, as he admits that much of The Subjection of Women was influenced by his late wife, Harriet Taylor, and his stepdaughter, Helen Taylor. By drawing attention to the role that Harriet and Helen played in shaping his argument, Mill further proves that women are both intellectually capable and determined to fight for their own rights—even if they have to resort to indirect means to do so.

While Mill presents a convincing case that women are just as intelligent and rational as men, his focus on this issue could be seen as misguided. Although in the historical and political context in which he was writing it was very common to assert that a person’s intellectual capabilities should determine what rights, freedoms, and resources they were allocated, some would argue that human rights and freedoms should not depend on intelligence and reason in the first place. Indeed, as Mill himself points out, men do not have to pass any test that determines they are intellectually “fit” enough to wield power over women—they are given this power regardless. This becomes a problem given that men are the ones who get to determine what intelligence and reason looks like in others. Furthermore, through his heavy focus on reason, Mill could be accused of disproportionately focusing on women from a similar class position to himself—highly-educated, wealthy, and elite. Overall, Mill is highly effective in showing that women are no less intelligent and rational than men and that if anything, the fact that men claim otherwise highlights their own bias and ignorance. While some might claim that this focus on intelligence and reason is somewhat elitist, the reverse could also be argued. By asking readers to second-guess their suppositions about women’s supposed mental inferiority, Mill arguably encourages a more open-minded view of intelligence that is part of a general movement toward respecting the thoughts and opinions of all people.