Utilitarianism
John Stuart Mill · 1861
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Description
John Stuart Mill published Utilitarianism in 1861, first as magazine essays and then as a short book. Mill defended the moral theory he had learned from Jeremy Bentham and his own father. Its rule is simple to state: the right act is the one that brings the greatest happiness overall.
Mill answered the charge that the theory is a pig philosophy by ranking pleasures of mind above those of body. He argued for liberty, justice, and rules that protect the weak as parts of happiness itself. The essay is short, clear, and argued with care against named critics. It remains the canonical statement of utilitarian ethics, the first text most students read on the subject.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | John Stuart Mill |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 1861 |
| COLLECTION | BOOKS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 158 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | Public Domain |
| RIGHTS | PUBLIC DOMAIN |
| SOURCE | Project Gutenberg |