Raised by his father, the philosopher james mill, on strictly benthamite principles, mill devoted his life to the defence and promotion of the general welfare. One of the classical utilitarians, he wrote one of the most important statements of utilitarianism in his the methods of ethics, which was said to be the best book ever written on ethics. Henry sidgwick 1838 1900 was a british philosopher and economist. For 170 years, harriet taylor mill has been presented as a footnote in john stuart.
Utilitarianism john stuart mill mcmaster faculty of social. Utilitarianism by mill abebooks shop for books, art. By default you will receive a daily digest containing any books that were published by authors in your subscription list. Utilitarianism by geoffrey scarre, 1996 online research. To be sure, west draws on that source more than on any other. Smashwords utilitarianism a book by john stuart mill.
Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different characterizations, the basic idea behind all of them is to in some sense maximize utility, which is often defined in terms of wellbeing or related concepts. He added, when two persons have their thoughts and speculations completely in common it is of little consequence, in respect of the question of originality, which of them holds the pen. There are few circumstances among those which make up the present condition of human knowledge, more unlike what might have been expected, or more signi. At approximately 100 pages this wasnt horribly time consuming to digest. John stuart mills book utilitarianism is a classic exposition and defence of utilitarianism in ethics.
Catechism of the steam engine, in its various applications to mines, mills, steam navigation, railways, and agriculture. Harriet taylor mill stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. While i think john stuart mill could have done without the longwinded defense of utilitarianism in comparison to other prevailing philosophical thought of the time i can see the necessity of starting his discussion this way. You can view and manage by clicking to manage smashwords alerts. Feb 02, 2007 a nice relatively short yet interesting read. Feb 01, 2004 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. For mill, act utilitarianism is the preferable method by which each individual judges their actions, filtering them with the greatest happiness principle in mind to produce the best ends for the most people.
Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism, which advocates that those actions are right which bring about the most good overall. It went through four editions during mills lifetime. Jan 20, 2017 you have subscribed to alerts for john stuart mill. By far the most widely read introduction to this theory, john stuart mills utilitarianism is one of the most important and controversial works of moral philosophy ever. Harriet taylor mill 18071858 wrote primarily in the area of socialpolitical. Mill mol, 216 harriet taylor mill 18071858 poses a unique set of problems for an encyclopedist. Was harriet taylor mill the great liberal thinkers secret muse. Harriet taylor mill 18071858 poses a unique set of problems for an. Utilitarianism traces the doctrine of utility from the moralists of the ancient world, through the enlightenment and victorian utilitarianism up to the lively debate of the present day. Harriet taylor mill was a british philosopher and womens rights advocate. General remarks most scornfully reject its authority. Full text of 1879 edition illustrated by john mill available from rakuten kobo. Utilitarianism by mill and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Geared towards the specific requirements of students who need to reach a sound understanding of the text as a whole, the guide explores the complex and important ideas inherent in the text and.
Mills utilitarianism is one of the most important, controversial, and suggestive works of moral philosophy ever written. John stuart mill 18061873 john stuart mills book utilitarianism is one of the most influential and widelyread philosophical defenses of utilitarianism in ethics. The usual approach to writing an entry on a historical figure, namely presenting a straightforward summary of her major works and then offering a few words of appraisal, cannot be carried out in her case. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. William godwin, jeremy bentham, john stuart and harriet taylor mill, and. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. May 08, 2012 utilitarianism paperback or softback by mill, john stuart and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. If you like, you can change the digest interval below. Mills classic work, utilitarianism, sets forth the major tenets of the doctrine and reformulates many of benthams ideas. Mill defends the view that all human action should produce the greatest happiness overall, and that happiness itself is to be understood as consisting in higher andlower pleasures. Mill and the diversity of utilitarianism daniel jacobson the central thesis of this paper is that mills conception of utilitarianism was much broader than current philosophical usage allows.
Mill credited his lover harriet taylor as the cocreator of his bestknown works. You will receive an email alert if one or more of the authors youre following has a new release. According to the ethical theory of utilitarianism, to do good is to always perform that act, of those available, that will bring the most happiness or the least unhappiness. This site has sought to flesh out the principle utilitarians, of whom john stuart mill is. An introduction to mills utilitarian ethics explicitly considered themselves utilitarians. Utilitarianism is a big name, but its got an easy definition. John stuart mill believed in an ethical theory known as utilitarianism and his theory is based on the principle of giving the greatest happiness to greatest number of people, mill support the pursuit of happiness. His most influential works include his books utilitarianism 1863 and on liberty 1859.
John stuart mill s classic exposition of utilitarian ethics. Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features. Mill was impressed with taylor and asked her to read and comment on the latest book he was working on. The books subtitle, meant to be excitingly commercial, is ill chosen. A close friend and later wife of john stuart mill, she had a profound impact on his thinking and worked in close collaboration with him. Mills work utilitarianism, originally published in frasers magazine 1861, is an elegant defense of the general utilitarian doctrine and perhaps remains the best introduction to the subject. Essays and criticism on john stuart mills utilitarianism critical essays. Utilitarianism paperback or softback by mill, john stuart and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In his autobiography, mill claimed harriet as the joint author of most of the books and articles published under his name. The influence of utilitarianism launched mill on a lifelong pursuit of social reform.
The book has an active table of contents for easy access to each chapter of the book. Whereas most introductions to mills ethics largely restrict their attention to mills utilitarianism, wests book treats that essay as but one source among many. The most distinctive feature of henry wests new book an introduction to mills utilitarian ethics is signaled by its title. John stuart mill believed in an ethical theory known as utilitarianism and his theory is based on the principle of giving the greatest happiness to greatest number of. There are few circumstances among those which make up the present condition of human knowledge, more unlike what might have been expected, or more significant of the backward state in which speculation on the most important subjects still lingers, than the little progress which has been made in the decision. British philosopher john stuart mill approached ethical theory with a scientists eye in his contributions to utilitarianism. Harriet taylor mill the enfranchisement of women summary. John stuart mills book utilitarianism is a philosophical defense of utilitarianism in ethics. Much of utilitarianism is an attempt to justify and execute a scientific approach to morals. John stuart mills utilitarianism, which first appeared in three installments of frasers magazine in 1861, was intended as a defense of the notorious doctrine identified with the liberal reformer jeremy bentham 17481832 and with the authors father, james mill 17731836. Harriet taylor mill 1807 1858 was a british philosopher and womens rights advocate. Utilitarianism according to mill, to determine whether one pleasure is more valuable than another, we must a. Utilitarianism written by the legendary english philosopher and political theorist john stuart mill is widely considered to be one of the greatest defenses of utilitarianism ethics of all time. Mills aim in the book is to explain what utilitarianism is, to show why it is the best.
You have subscribed to alerts for john stuart mill. Publication date 1863 topics utilitarianism publisher london. With the help his longtime companion harriet taylor, mill became a powerful champion of lofty moral and social ideals. A student of jeremy bentham, mill promoted the ideas of utilitarianism and liberalism and has been called the most influential english language philosopher of the nineteenth century. Mill and the diversity of utilitarianism daniel jacobson the central thesis of this paper is that mill s conception of utilitarianism was much broader than current philosophical usage allows. In chapter 2 of utilitarianism, mill says that some people will accuse utilitarianism of being a philosophy.
Mill s utilitarianism is one of the most important, controversial, and suggestive works of moral philosophy ever written. Mill visited france in 1820 and was thoroughly enchanted by the country and its culture, history, and literature. John stuart mills on liberty 1859 is the classic statement and defence of the view that governmental encroachment upon the freedom of individuals is almost never warranted. This volume uses the 1871 edition of the text, the last to be published in mills lifetime. Among harriets many accomplishments include her essay and book on womens suffrage movement this includes her works, enfranchisement of. Despite her many contributions in books and magazines, most of her writin. Find books like utilitarianism from the worlds largest community of readers. John stuart mills ethical theory of utilitarianism philosophy.
Mill s aim in the book is to explain what utilitarianism is, to show why it is the best theory of ethics, and to defend it against a wide range of criticisms and misunderstandings. Utilitarianism is a family of consequentialist ethical theories that promotes actions that maximize happiness and wellbeing for the affected individuals. John stuart mill s book utilitarianism is a philosophical defense of utilitarianism in ethics. John stuart mills ethical theory of utilitarianism. Harriet hardy taylor mill 18071858 one of the most overlooked philosophers of her time, harriet hardy taylor mill is perhaps one of the most influential writers of her time which contributed greatly to the utilitarian movement. Utilitarianism john stuart mill john stuart mill 18061873. The last two books mentionedaccording to the autobiographywere. This classic essay will surely attract a whole new generation of john stuart mill readers. John stuart mills classic exposition of utilitarian ethics. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that.
Page 12 a treatise on the steam engine, in its various applications to mines, mills, steam navigation, railways, and agriculture, by j. The essay first appeared as a series of three articles published in frasers magazine in 1861. Utilitarianism by 19th century english social philosopher, john stuart mill is the classic statement of a theory of ethics which is bases its argument primarily on the question of what is good instead of questions of obligation on which many other classic theories are based. I found myself fairly wellconvinced by utilitarianism as an ethical and moral approach. Paternalistic laws jaywalking, wearing your seatbelt, safety rules follow rule utilitarianism. Building upon the premise set forth by jeremy bentham, mill subjected his own work to the scientific method and deep, incisive inquiry. The essay advocates a more complex version of utilitarianism that takes into account the many arguments, misconceptions, and criticisms many people have about the view of morality many have.
Mills aim in the book is to explain what utilitarianism is, to show why it is the best theory of ethics, and to defend it against a wide range of criticisms and misunderstandings. The whole thing boils down to asking one question to make decisions. There is also a brief biographical overview of her life. John stuart mills most famous essays written in 1861. The scandalous love affair that fuelled john stuart mills feminism. Portions of her books provide insight into what harriet was trying to convey to people. In chapter 2 of utilitarianism, mill noted that utilitarianism had concentrated upon the quantity of pleasure but it did not address any qualitative differences in pleasure. A generation later, utilitarianism found its most effective exponent in john stuart mill.
The essay draws upon the influence of both mills father and jeremy bentham. Oct 05, 2017 john stuart mill s book utilitarianism is a classic exposition and defense of utilitarianism in ethics. Among the several texts that john stuart mill and harriet taylor mill were working on. Auguste comte and positivism 1865 gutenberg text mill, john stuart, 18061873. Classical utilitarianism, which is best known for arguing that it is the. The purpose of this site is to give the reader a chronological examination of john stuart mill and harriet mill after 1830. Sure, choose that hamburger for lunch, if thats what will make you happy.
The essay first appeared as a series of three articles published in frasers magazine in 1861 vol. John stuart mill s book utilitarianism is a classic exposition and defence of utilitarianism in ethics. John stuart mill mill, john stuart, 18061873 online books about this author are available, as is a wikipedia article mill, john stuart, 18061873. I dont know enough to answer that question, actually, but mill certainly writes in such a way. Hard times by charles dickens, utilitarianism by john stuart mill, practical ethics by peter singer, utilitarianism. List of books and articles about utilitarianism online. Seems simple, until you try to get through a day of using it to determine everything you do. The essay provides support for the value of utilitarianism as a moral theory and defends it against a wide range of criticisms and misunderstandings. Utilitarianism by john stuart mill free at loyal books. By far the most widely read introduction to this theory, john stuart mill s utilitarianism is one of the most important and controversial works of moral philosophy ever. John stuart mills book utilitarianism is a classic exposition and defense of utilitarianism in ethics.