Prokovief, A.V. Idea of justice in the "Utilitarism" of J.St.Milles

Abstract: The paper is devoted to reconstruction of J.S.Mill’s understanding of justice (mainly according to the fifth chapter of Utilitarianism). Despite common tendency in utilitarianism to consider justice as a secondary and auxiliary moral concept Mill tried to give the idea of justice as high status as it has in live moral experience. For the purpose of this Mill distinguished different kinds of utility. According to Mill, the idea of justice corresponds to one of these kinds, which meets the need in security. In order to justify this approach and to make it acceptable by the untilitarianists, as well as to the adherents of the ethics of tradition and common sense Mill anticipated some problems which would be actively discussed in our days and proposed a number of controversial thesis regarding the essence of morality, the criteria of right actions, and the content of the principles of justice.