This work has probably received more analysis than any other work on utilitarianism available. However, I seek to do here what many others have so far failed to accomplish. I hope, in five paragraphs, to cover each of the chapters of Utilitarianism in sufficient depth to enable any reader to decide whether or not he subscribes to Mill's doctrine, and if so, to what part or parts he subscribed. I do this realizing that much of Mill's deliberations in the text will have completely disappeared. I suggest that anyone seeking to fully understand Mill's work read it at length. In the first chapter, Mill notes society's need for a simple, definite foundation for our morality, which should be based on personal experiences. He believes that this set of morals should be determined by their consequences and proposes utilitarianism as a solution. Mill makes several assumptions here that many readers consider objectionable. He believes that a moral code can be simplified into a single basic principle, that morality should be based on experience, and that consequences, not intentions, determine the morality of an action. An objection to any of these claims would undermine Mill's fundamental assumptions. Mill's second chapter develops utilitarianism: “[. . .] actions are good to the extent that they promote happiness; false because they tend to produce the opposite of happiness. By happiness we mean pleasure and the absence of pain; through unhappiness, pain and deprivation of pleasure. Mill argues that utilitarianism does not simply refer to primitive forms of pleasure, but emphasizes “[. . .] pleasures of the intellect, feelings and imagination [. . .].” In this way, actions should not only aim at the greatest amount...... middle of paper ...... to go against an individual's rights but threaten the security of the rights themselves , and therefore the security of society's rights. It's a bit of a slippery slope. Mill concludes by asserting that justice is, as we have pointed out, only a manifestation of utilitarianism. If this were true, it would imply that a greater concern for utility might ultimately trump these rights. Despite many of the errors mentioned here, Mill's arguments for utilitarianism are quite strong. In just five short chapters, Mill developed an argument for utilitarianism that has withstood rigorous scrutiny for several years. However, time and again he failed to provide a reason for accepting utilitarianism over other philosophies. It is therefore up to the reader to choose their level of acceptance of Mill's utilitarianism. Works Cited Utilitarianism, by John Stuart Mill