JohnStuartMill's*Utilitarianism*isafoundationaltextinmoralphilosophythatexpandsupontheutilitarianprinciplefirstarticulatedbyJeremyBentham.Mill'sversionofutilitarianismemphasizesthatactionsarerightinsofarastheypromotehappinessandwrongiftheyproducetheoppositeofhappiness.UnlikeBentham,whofocusedsolelyonthequantityofpleasure,Millintroducesaqualitativedistinction,arguingthathigherintellectualandmoralpleasuresholdgreatervaluethanmerephysicalgratification.Hedefendsutilitarianismagainstcommoncriticisms,suchastheclaimthatitreducesmoralitytobasehedonism,byassertingthathumanbeingsarecapableofcultivatingnobledesiresandvirtues.Millalsoaddressesjustice,reconcilingitwithutilitybyexplaininghowtheprinciplesofjusticeultimatelyservethegreatergood.Hisworkremainsakeyreferenceindebatesaboutethics,publicpolicy,andindividualfreedom.
