Utilitarianism - John Stuart Mill - Utilitarianism is philosopher John Stuart Mill's defense and advocacy of utilitarian ethics. First appearing in three magazine articles, this essay was first gathered into a single book in 1863. While Mill discusses utilitarian ethical principles in some of his other writings such as On Liberty and The Subjection of Women, Utilitarianism is Mill's only major discussion of the theory's fundamental grounds.John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 - 7 May 1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, Member of Parliament (MP) and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of classical liberalism, he contributed widely to social theory, political theory, and political economy. Dubbed "the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century", he conceived of liberty as justifying the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state and social control.Mill was a proponent of utilitarianism, an ethical theory developed by his predecessor Jeremy Bentham. He contributed to the investigation of scientific methodology, though his knowledge of the topic was based on the writings of others, notably William Whewell, John Herschel, and Auguste Comte, and research carried out for Mill by Alexander Bain. He engaged in written debate with Whewell.A member of the Liberal Party and author of the early feminist work The Subjection of Women, Mill was also the second Member of Parliament to call for women's suffrage after Henry Hunt in 1832.