彌爾是十九世紀自由主義的著名辯護者，在《論自由》一書中竭力論證自由的真義、思想與言論的自由、個性發展的自由、社會權力與自由等重要命題，其要旨對兒童教育的目的、教學、受教權、精英的培養具有相當的啟示作用。於是本文從彌爾自由哲學的思想淵源、中心論題深入探析後，思考其在兒童教育上的啟示。彌爾自由哲學思想在兒童教育的啟示如下： 一、 兒童教育目的在個性的開展：在方法上可提供支持性的自由環境；確認師生自由的角色；掌握錯誤回饋的適當時機。 二、 適性教學的理念與作法：在教學方式上應重個別差異；教學過程重視興趣的培養。 三、 兒童受教權：應保障兒童自由受教權；增強父母的教育責任；反教育理念的再澄清；肯定強迫教育的執行。 四、 精英（資優）教育的提倡：應啟發兒童創造思考；使其練習練習民主法治生活；賦予自由與情境的變化。

　　　　　Mill was an illustrious spokesman of liberalism in the 19th century. In his book, "On Liberty", Mill made strong arguments for the genuine meaning of freedom, freedom of thought and speech, freedom of personality development, social power and freeom, and so forth. The key points of this book have important inspirations for child education in terms of goals, teaching, right of education, and cultivation of elites. With the results securing from analyzing his major arguments, some impontant for child education are stated as bollows: 1. Development of personality as the goal of child education: providing a supporting free environment for teaching; affirming the rule of freedom for teachers and pupils and catching suitable opportunities for feedback to errors. 2. Ideas and approaches for adaping teaching: emphasizing individual differences in teaching methods; stressing on the cultivation of interest in teaching process. 3. Children's right of learning: protecting children's right of learning; enhancing parent's responsibility on education; clarifying the idea of deschooling and assuring the implementation of compulsory education. 4. Advocacy of elite education: stimulating children's creative thinking; letting children practice the life of democracy and law; and endowing freedom and teaching context with variability.