A review by nohoperadio
Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill, George Sher

4.0

Read on Wikisource. I find Mill very enjoyable to read even though he’s not a particularly dazzling stylist because there’s so little ego in his writing. He addresses the reader as you imagine he would write to a friend: he wants to convince you, but feels no impulse to bully you into being convinced. You don’t realize how sadly rare this quality is in a philosopher until you encounter it. I never find myself doubting that the reasons he gives for his beliefs are the actual reasons he holds those beliefs; there’s never an attempt to make opposing views seem ridiculous or dishonest; he seems genuinely comfortable assuming his readership is roughly as intelligent as himself. It’s a beautiful thing.