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jonathanlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Love Bentham's systematic style though paired with his hedonic calculus does come off as absurdly inhuman. Mill, I suppose, is the antidote to this, with more of a practical approach though perhaps philosophically weaker. Both admit there is not ultimate justification to utilitarianism, as there can be no justification for any ethical system. They take from Aristotle happiness being the greatest good. I agree that happiness must be the aim to any moral system and utilitarianism does seem the best approach.
scarlettgebbie's review against another edition
3.0
“when people who are tolerably fortunate in their outward lot do not find sufficient enjoyment to make it valuable to them, the cause generally is, caring for nobody but themselves”
darwin8u's review against another edition
4.0
Read it again in 2013 after reading Dickens' [b:Hard Times|5344|Hard Times|Charles Dickens|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348651243s/5344.jpg|6751955] just to make sure JSM wasn't as crass as the industrial, totally rationalized society, Utilitarians presented in 'Hard Times'. He wasn't, and so it is still safe for me to still have some affection for Utilitarianism as an ism.
***
Since I hadn't read Mill since college, I figured it was high time to revisit his famous ethical essay on, and defense of, social utility, justice and the greatest-happiness principle. I remember loving the clarity and simplicity of Mill's arguments when I was first exposed to this essay in college, and the central ideas of utilitarianism still resonate with me 15 years later.
***
Since I hadn't read Mill since college, I figured it was high time to revisit his famous ethical essay on, and defense of, social utility, justice and the greatest-happiness principle. I remember loving the clarity and simplicity of Mill's arguments when I was first exposed to this essay in college, and the central ideas of utilitarianism still resonate with me 15 years later.
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