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- DictionaryU·til·i·tar·i·an·ism/yo͞oˌtiləˈterēəˌnizəm/
noun
- 1. the doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority.
In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for the affected individuals. [1] [2] In other words, utilitarian ideas encourage actions that ensure the greatest good for the greatest number.
Utilitarianism, in normative ethics, a tradition stemming from the late 18th- and 19th-century English philosophers and economists Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill according to which an action is right if it tends to promote happiness and wrong if it tends to produce the reverse of happiness.
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that determines right from wrong by focusing on outcomes. It is a form of consequentialism. Utilitarianism holds that the most ethical choice is the one that will produce the greatest good for the greatest number.
Jun 22, 2023 · Utilitarianism is a type of philosophy and ethical theory that focuses on maximizing overall benefit and minimizing harm. This philosophy was first developed in the 18th century by British philosopher Jeremy Bentham and is still widely discussed today.
Utilitarianism is one of the best known and most influential moral theories. Like other forms of consequentialism, its core idea is that whether actions are morally right or wrong depends on their effects. More specifically, the only effects of actions that are relevant are the good and bad results that they produce.
What Is Utilitarianism? Utilitarianism is not a single viewpoint, but a family of related ethical theories. What these theories have in common is their focus on bringing about the best consequences for the world by improving the lives of all sentient beings.
Utilitarianism (pronounced yoo-TILL-ih-TARE-ee-en-ism) is one of the main schools of thought in modern ethics (also known as moral philosophy). Utilitarianism holds that what’s ethical (or moral) is whatever maximizes total happiness while minimizing total pain.
Feb 19, 2024 · Utilitarianism is a philosophy founded by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and then extended by other thinkers, notably John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). Utilitarianism involves the greatest happiness principle...
What Is Utilitarianism? We can define utilitarianism in simple terms: Utilitarianism is the view that one ought always to promote overall well-being. The core idea is that we should want all lives to go as well as possible, 9 with no-one’s well-being counting for more or less than anyone else’s.
After defining utilitarianism, this chapter offers a detailed analysis of its four key elements (consequentialism, welfarism, impartiality, and aggregationism). It explains the difference between maximizing, satisficing, and scalar utilitarianism, and other important distinctions between utilitarian theories. 3.
