Leslie Stephen’s The English Utilitarians is a masterwork of Victorian intellectual history, tracing the development of utilitarian philosophy in Britain from Bentham through James Mill. Volume 1 focuses on the life and thought of Jeremy Bentham, examining his legal philosophy, his critique of common law, and his enormous influence on nineteenth-century British reform movements.
Stephen, himself a towering figure of Victorian letters, writes with critical precision and wide learning. The work remains essential reading for anyone interested in the history of British philosophy, political economy, and the intellectual foundations of liberal reform. Download the free EPUB for this authoritative study.