Utilitarianism

Arguably one of the most important political thinkers of the modern era, John Stuart Mill's influence on Western civilization cannot be overstated. In his classic exposition Utilitarianism, first published as a series of three articles in Fraser's Magazine in 1861, we are provided great insight into Mill's philosophical worldview. The basic principle of utilitarianism is that one's actions should be guided towards outcomes that create the greatest good for the greatest numbers of people, or in other words towards the maximization of utility, or happiness. In Utilitarianism, Mill examines how this simple guiding principle creates a host of challenging moral dilemmas.