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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

Utilitarianism is a consequentialist ethical framework. This means it says what makes things good or bad/right or wrong, are the consequences.

Utilitarians want all lives to go as well as possible, counting everyone’s well-being equally. On this view, what matters most is bringing about the best overall consequences by improving the …