Utilitarianism has a long history, but for many authors it would seem to begin with Bentham and to end with Mill. Not so for Geoffrey Scarre. He traces the history of the doctrine of utility from the moralists of the ancient world, through the Enlightenment and the Victorian eras, to the lively debates about its viability today. Besides such pivotal as Bentham, Mill and Sidgwick, Scarre also introduces the work of several less well-known figures, including the Chinese sage Mo Tzu, suc radical eighteenth-century thinkers as Priestley and Godwin and the Ideal Utilitarian of the twentieth century, Hastings Rashdall. Finally, Geoffrey Scarre discusses the more recent debates about utilitarian ethics. He carefully examines the charges raised by its opponents and argues that, while it many not be a faultless moral doctrine, utilitarian still has relevance today. Accessible and comprehensive, Utilitarianism will be essential reading for both students and teachers of moral philosophy.