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 …

Dec 1, 2025 · 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 …

Jun 17, 2025 · Utilitarianism is a theory of morality that supports actions that foster happiness or pleasure. It opposes actions that cause unhappiness or harm. A utilitarian philosophy would aim for …

Utilitarianism is a philosophical view or theory about how we should evaluate a wide range of things that involve choices that people face. Among the things that can be evaluated are actions, laws, policies, …

Utilitarianism is a philosophical theory of ethics that centers on maximizing happiness and minimizing suffering. At its core, it evaluates actions based on their consequences, aiming to promote the …

Dec 17, 2025 · 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 …

Utilitarianism is an effort to provide an answer to the practical question “What ought a man to do?” Its answer is that he ought to act so as to produce the best consequences possible.

Mar 27, 2009 · Though the first systematic account of utilitarianism was developed by Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832), the core insight motivating the theory occurred much earlier. That insight is that morally …

Utilitarianism demands that moral agents choose the option that maximizes expected utility among available alternatives, even when this conflicts with common-sense moral rules, special obligations, …

Utilitarianism is a theory about rightness, according to which the only good thing is welfare (wellbeing or ‘utility’). Welfare should, in some way, be maximized, and agents are to be neutral between their own …