John Stuart Mill
Philosopher and economist (1806–1873) who coined the 'unearned increment' of land and proposed taxing future land-value gains — a direct forerunner of Georgism.
Overview
John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) was the towering British philosopher and political economist of the mid-19th century. His Principles of Political Economy (1848) was the standard economics text for a generation, and his treatment of land rent directly anticipated Henry George.
The Unearned Increment
Mill observed that landlords "grow richer, as it were in their sleep, without working, risking, or economizing" — their land rises in value through the growth and effort of society, not their own. He named this the unearned increment and proposed that the state tax the future increase in land values above current levels, capturing for the public what the public creates.
Land Reform
Mill helped found the Land Tenure Reform Association (1870), which campaigned to tax the unearned increment and reform land monopoly. His ideas gave the Georgist movement intellectual respectability and a ready-made vocabulary; Henry George built directly on Mill while arguing for a more thoroughgoing remedy.
See Also
Sources
- John Stuart Mill (1848), Principles of Political Economy, Book V (taxation of rent). Full text