Deux grands esprits se rencontrent : John Stuart Mill et Charles Dickens autour de l’éducation utilitariste

Abstract

Charles Dickens is often considered a staunch opponent of the doctrine of Utilitarianism upheld by classical authors, a criticism he voiced very strongly in Hard Times, published in 1854. Our article will argue however that when it comes to Utilitarian education, Dickens’s views bear many resemblances to positions upheld by one of the main proponents of utilitarianism at the time, namely John Stuart Mill. We highlight their affinities on the nature of education and the role of feelings, as well as on the quest for happiness associated by the two writers with educational development. We will draw upon our reading of Hard Times, as well as upon the study of Mill’s Autobiography ([1873] 1993) to show how Dickens and Mill develop converging ideas on these questions, considered through the prism of two different literary genres. Through Hard Times and through Mill’s autobiography, the subtle and complex literary construction of an economic, moral and political reflection emerges.

Keywords

• Hard Times
• economics and literature
• utilitarianism
• education
• emotion
• happiness