_Utilitarianism_ is a classic exposition and defense of utilitarianism in ethics. Written by political economist and civil servant John Stuart Mill, the essay first appeared as a series of three articles published in _Fraser's Magazine_ in 1861; the articles were collected and reprinted as a single book in 1863. The essay provides support for the value of utilitarianism as a moral theory and defends it against a wide range of criticisms and misunderstandings. Though heavily criticized both in Mill's lifetime and in the years since, _Utilitarianism_ has been credited with popularizing utilitarian ethics and is considered the most influential philosophical articulation of a liberal humanistic morality that was produced in the nineteenth century.