'A great pedestrian': John Stuart Mill, the Walking Philosopher.

This article examines the central role of walking in the life, identity, and philosophy of John Stuart Mill, arguing that his extensive pedestrianism—ranging from daily urban commutes to rural and international walking tours—was integral to both his personal development and intellectual work. Challenging the traditional portrayal of Mill as a disembodied thinker, the article situates his walking within cultural, emotional, and spatial contexts, drawing on Extended Mind Theory to highlight the embodied nature of his thought. It further contends that walking was for Mill a form of higher pleasure, intertwined with his appreciation of nature, botany, and social interaction, thereby complicating the conventional mind/body divide in his utilitarian philosophy. Finally, the article suggests that recognizing Mill's embodied practices can enrich historical and interdisciplinary understandings of his philosophy and politics.