An Analysis of the Phenomena of the Human Mind

James Mill (1773-1836), British philosopher, political theorist, historian and psychologist was largely responsible for organizing the influential Bentham followers that became know as the "philosophical radicals", which included David Ricardo, Joseph Hume, J.R. McCulloch, George Grote and John Austin. A prolific writer, Mill is remembered mainly as Bentham's chief disciple, and for his influence on the radicals and in particular on his son John Stuart Mill, the prominent utilitarian thinker. "Analysis of the Phenomena of the Human Mind" is Mill's best-known work on associationist epistemology. Influenced by Hobbes, Locke, Hume, and Hartley, whose theory of association he applied and developed further, and other French writers such as Condillac, Helvetius, and Cabanis, the work clearly represents a distinct stage in the development of the empirical school. "Analysis" illustrates Mill's attempt to explain all mental phenomena in terms of association and is a resource for scholars of both psychology and philosophy.