
Utilitarianism | Definition, Philosophy, Examples, Ethics, Philosophers ...
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 …
Utilitarianism - Wikipedia
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 …
Utilitarianism: What It Is, Founders, and Main Principles
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 - Ethics Unwrapped
Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that asserts that right and wrong are best determined by focusing on outcomes of actions and choices.
What is Utilitarianism? | Utilitarianism.net
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 lives of sentient …
Understanding Utilitarianism: A Guide - Philosophos
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 …
Act and Rule Utilitarianism - Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
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 - Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy
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 …
Utilitarianism - The Sociology Dictionary
Originating with thinkers like Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, utilitarianism assesses the moral worth of an action based on its outcomes, emphasizing the balance between pleasure and pain.
UTILITARIANISM Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of UTILITARIANISM is a doctrine that the useful is the good and that the determining consideration of right conduct should be the usefulness of its consequences; specifically : a theory …