Politics, Religion and Classical Political Economy in Britain

The book examines tensions in classical political economy by describing and analysing changes in J.S. Mill's economic and religious thought late in life, and assesses the influence of Mill's disciplines on these shifts. Mill's followers, surprisingly, were divided into two opposing camps. Influenced by the `heterodox' group-opponents of Ricardian political economy - and by pressing political concerns, Mill modified his principles in ways he would not earlier have countenanced. This resulted in inconsistencies and evasions in his final essays, which greatly upset the 'orthodox' contingent.