Utilitarianism

John A fundamental exposition and defence of utilitarianism in ethics may be found in Stuart Mill's work Utilitarianism. The essay was first published in Fraser's Magazine as a trilogy of three parts in 1861 (vol. 64, p. 391-406, 525-534, and 659-673); the articles were compiled and reprinted as a single volume in 1863. The purpose of Mill's work is to define utilitarianism, demonstrate why it is the greatest ethical theory, and defend it against a variety of objections and misunderstandings. Although it received harsh criticism during Mill's lifetime and since, utilitarianism has been hailed as "the most influential philosophical articulation of a liberal humanistic morality that was produced in the nineteenth century" for its significant contribution to the spread of utilitarian ethics.