John Stuart Mill (May 20, 1806-May 8, 1873) was a British utilitarianist philosopher and influential contributor to social, political, and economic theory. He is regarded as the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the 19th century. Utilitarianism is the belief that the ultimate goal of public policy should be promoting general happiness of the people. Mill became the leader of the movement after the death of his father in 1836. He believed in equal rights for men and women, promoted the idea of a free market, but believed in a more equal distribution of wealth. His best known writings include A System of Logic (1843), Principles of Political Economy (1848), Utilitarianism (1861), and The Subjection of Women (1869).