Utilitarianism

The following is a mixture of my own thoughts and thoughts from "The Moral Course of Thinking" in Gathered for the Journey: Moral Theology in Catholic Perspective, ed.

A rule utilitarian thinks, before acting, about the consequences of people following that rule. If the outcome is regarded as positive, she might decide that it's good to follow that rule in general, and will apply it in future.

Utilitarianism is a consequentialist moral theory focused on maximizing the overall good; the good of others as well as the good of one's self. The notable thinkers associated with utilitarianism are Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Utilitarianism? "Goodness means the greatest happiness of the greatest number" This claim is the single most important teaching of utilitarianism, as the principle of utility.

A survey and rebuttal of common criticisms against utilitarianism.

The utilitarian approach to ethics - and the limitations of this approach.

Utilitarianism , in ethics, the theory that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its usefulness.

In normative ethics, a tradition stemming from the late 18th- and 19th-century English philosophers and economists Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.

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.

Utilitarianism is a theory in normative ethics holding that the best moral action is the one that maximizes utility. Utility is defined in various ways, but is usually related to the well-being of sentient entities. Originally, Jeremy Bentham, the founder of Utilitarianism, defined utility as the aggregate pleasure after deducting suffering of all involved in any action.