Utilitarianism

Written for the educated general reader, *Utilitarianism* is the most cited statement of the moral theory Mill inherited from Bentham and his father, refined to answer common objections. Across five short chapters Mill distinguishes higher from lower pleasures, defends the principle's compatibility with justice, and grounds it in a sentiment of social unity rather than divine command. It is the indispensable starting point for any modern ethics syllabus and continues to set the terms of debate in normative ethics.