Utilitarianism and Other Essays (Penguin Classics)

One of the most important nineteenth-century schools of thought, Utilitarianism propounds the view that the value or rightness of an action rests in how well it promotes the welfare of those affected by it, aiming for 'the greatest happiness of the greatest number'.

Key Figures in Utilitarianism:

• Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832):
  The founder of the movement, Bentham was as much a social reformer as he was a philosopher.
• John Stuart Mill (1806-73):
  Mill, Bentham's greatest interpreter, sought to humanize Bentham's pragmatic Utilitarianism. He skillfully balanced the claims of reason and imagination, individuality, and social well-being in his essays.

Notable Essays Included:

• 'Bentham'
• 'Coleridge'
• Utilitarianism

These works, collected in this volume, showcase the creation and development of a system of ethics that has had an enduring influence on both moral philosophy and legislative policy.