An Introduction to Mill's Utilitarian Ethics

By Henry R. West

Book Overview

John Stuart Mill was the leading British philosopher of the nineteenth century and his famous essay Utilitarianism is the most influential statement of the philosophy of utilitarianism: that actions, laws, policies and institutions are to be evaluated by their utility or contribution to good or bad consequences. Henry West has written the most up-to-date and user-friendly introduction to utilitarianism available. The book serves as both a commentary to and interpretation of the text. It also defends Mill against his critics. An appendix reviews in detail the structure and arguments of Utilitarianism. This book is primarily intended as a textbook for students in philosophy assigned to read Utilitarianism but it should also prove helpful to students and professionals in other fields such as political science, history and economics.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521535417
• ISBN13: 9780521535410
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

A Helpful Companion to Mill's Utilitarianism

An Introduction to Mill's Utilitarian Ethics Henry R. West provides a helpful addition to interpretation of J.S. Mill's Utilitarianism. West states: "The present work is conceived as a contribution to [disputes of interpretation of Mill's "Utilitarianism"], both of interpretation and of the merits of Mill's philosophical position. It is an effort to present an interpretation of the work as a whole and of its constituent parts, taking into consideration many of the conflicting interpretations found in philosophical literature, and to defend the essay against many of the objects that have been presented against it or its utilitarian philosophy" (3). What makes West's text helpful: 1) West is absolutely clear. West is incredibly clear in his explanations and critiques. He doesn't dance around issues and he is not ambiguous with his definitions. Even better, he is not wordy. His text is straight and to the point. 2) West has done an extensive amount of research on Mill's essay "Utilitarianism", it's philosophical impact, and also on Mill's social context. Everything is well documented. And, there are footnotes on the bottom of the pages. In my opinion, this is more helpful than having them in the back of the book as it allows for the main text to remain focused, and for any tangents or citations to remain relegated to the bottom but still relevant. But that's just me. What makes this text unique: 1) West has done a great amount of research on Mill's context. Namely, he is not merely looking at his work, but he is taking into consideration other important facts and influences on Mill and as a result of Mill. Moreover, this allows West to provide an account of Mill's essay in a way that provides more clarity and color to Mill's thought. 2) West actually gives you his own opinion. And he tells you, "I argue" -then he explains why. For instance, West acknowledges differences between Mill and Bentham, and he argues that there are far more similarities. Moreover, West argues that Mill's Utilitarianism (contra interpretations) is a defensible ethical theory. Final Thoughts and Considerations: If you are considering the text, for the price, it is a good deal. Throughout the rest of the text, he discusses Mill's qualitative/quantitative measures of pleasure, sanctions, Mill's relationship between utility and justice, and Mil's critiques of other foundations of ethics. In summary, it is a helpful companion to his actual essay. And, even if you don't agree with Mill (and I don't), it will help you be more academically honest and humble in you critiques.

Utilitarianism Made Easy

This book is a good introduction to Mills' "Utilitarianism." The writing is clear, Mills is related to earlier and later thinkers (such as Bentham and Rawls), and the author defends Mills without grinding axes or losing his impartiality. Readers should know, however, that the book would be hard to understand if not read alongside "Utilitarianism."