It was originally published as a series of three separate articles in Fraser's Magazine in 1861 before it was collected and reprinted as a single work in 1863.

It was heavily criticized upon publication; however, since then, Utilitarianism gained significant popularity[2] and has been considered "the most influential philosophical articulation of a liberal humanistic morality that was produced in the nineteenth century.

Since the beginning of philosophy, the same issues have been debated over and over again, and philosophers continue to disagree sharply over the basic starting points of ethics.

Few people, he claims, would choose to trade places with an animal, a fool, or an ignoramus for any amount of bodily pleasure they might thereby acquire.

[8] Mill argues that traditional moral rules such as "Keep your promises" and "Tell the truth" have been shown by long experience to promote the welfare of society.

He explores a variety of ways in which both external and internal sanctions – that is, the incentives provided by others and the inner feelings of sympathy and conscience – encourage people to think about how their actions affect the happiness of others.

[14] The fifth and longest chapter concludes by discussing what Mill considers "the only real difficulty"[15] with utilitarian ethics: whether it might sometimes license acts of flagrant injustice.

Critics of utilitarianism often claim that judging actions solely in terms of their effects on the general happiness is incompatible with a robust respect for individual rights and a duty to treat people as they deserve.

[17] Though some contemporary ethicists would not agree with all elements of Mill's moral philosophy, utilitarianism remains a live option in ethical theory today.