Utilitarianism and Justice, Other Links

Mill, as an advocate for social reforms that benefit women and the poor, thinks that questions about social justice must always be answered in terms of social utility.  In other words, questions about what makes a society just and fair are questions about who is benefited most by certain policies.  For example, slavery would only benefit a certain group of people.  The enslaved class is not able to maximize pleasure.  Because all pleasure matters equally, a policy that only considers the pleasures of some is unjust.  Social progress is made when we recognize that what may seem like a useful social institution (slavery, lack of women's suffrage, etc.) is actually oppressing certain groups of people.  Ultimately, questions about whether slavery is just are questions about whether slavery could maximize universal utility within a society.

Here are links to Basic Utilitarianism and the Proof for the Greatest Happiness Principle.