Utilitarianism Paperback - 2004

Utilitarianism is a philosophical work written by John Stuart Mill, a British philosopher and political economist, and first published in 1861. The book is a treatise on the ethical theory of utilitarianism, which is based on the belief that the moral worth of an action is determined by its ability to produce the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.In the book, Mill argues that the ultimate goal of human action should be the promotion of happiness, and that the best way to achieve this goal is to act in accordance with the principle of utility. This principle holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.Mill also discusses the relationship between individual happiness and the happiness of society as a whole, arguing that the two are closely interlinked. He argues that the happiness of society depends on the happiness of its individual members, and that the promotion of individual happiness is therefore essential to the well-being of society as a whole.Throughout the book, Mill addresses a number of objections to utilitarianism, including the charge that it is a doctrine of ""swine"" pleasure, that it is impractical, and that it is incompatible with the idea of individual rights. He also discusses the role of justice in a utilitarian society, arguing that justice is necessary to ensure that the principle of utility is applied fairly and impartially.Overall, Utilitarianism is a seminal work in the field of ethical theory, and has had a profound influence on modern philosophy and political thought.We are continually informed that Utility is an uncertain standard, which every different person interprets differently, and that there is no safety but in the immutable, ineffaceable, and unmistakable dictates of justice, which carry their evidence in themselves, and are independent of the fluctuations of opinion. One would suppose from this that on questions of justice there could be no controversy; that if we take that for our rule, its application to any given case could leave us in as little doubt as a mathematical demonstration.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.