»The Ethics of Happiness. An Introduction to Utilitarism«Utilitarianism is an excellent moral philosophy of an enlightened society and its theory of state and law. The declared goal of all actions is not the observance of religious or other traditional intentions, but rather bliss: »as much happiness for as many people as possible.« The starting point lies in psychology, namely in the human quest for happiness. This most British of all philosophies draws on 'common sense' like no other. Utilitarianism is also a unique example of how immense the consequences of an obvious premise can be. The intellectual efforts of the utilitarians to escape these sometimes insane consequences are of unparalleled intellectual brilliance. This introduction provides an overview of the main thoughts and criticisms of utilitarianism - from Bentham to the modern age.