John Stuart Mill, On Liberty (1859), Chapter 1
“
I regard utility as the ultimate appeal on all ethical questions; but it must be utility in the largest sense, grounded on the permanent interests of man as a progressive being. Those interests, I contend, authorize the subjection of individual spontaneity to external control, only in respect to those actions of each, which concern the interest of other people.
— John Stuart Mill on Utilitarianism
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I regard utility as the ultimate appeal on all ethical questions; but it must be utility in the largest sense, grounded on the permanent interests of man as a progressive being. Those interests, I contend, authorize the subjection of individual spontaneity to external control, only in respect to those actions of each, which concern the interest of other people." in the context of "John Stuart Mill, On Liberty (1859), Chapter 1" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Utilitarianism" (M)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 8 May 1873), also known as J. S. Mill, was an English political philosopher and economist who was an advocate of utilitarianism.
About John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 8 May 1873), also known as J. S. Mill, was an English political philosopher and economist who was an advocate of utilitarianism.
View all quotes →