What does utilitarianism mean in ethics?
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Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that says that the right thing to do in any situation is whatever will “do the most good” (that is, whatever will produce the best outcomes) taking into consideration the interests of all concerned parties. Show Utilitarianism is part of a larger family of consequentialist ethical theories—theories according to which the rightness or wrongness of actions is determined by their tendency to produce good or bad consequences or outcomes. Utilitarianism says in particular that the right action in any situation is the one that will produce the best outcomes, as measured by impact on everyone involved. The latter part is important: utilitarians believe that everyone’s interests count. Historically, utilitarian philosophers played an important role in many struggles that are today recognized as ethically significant. Utilitarians argued, for instance, in favour of rights for women and for people of various races. All people—all happiness and all misery—count equally, in the eyes of utilitarians. This was a radical view, in an era in which only white, property-owning males were really thought of as being entitled to a full range of rights. In business contexts, utilitarianism implies an obligation for businesses to do what they can to act in a way that maximizes happiness and minimizes suffering. So, utilitarianism provides a basis for criticizing business behaviours that cause harm to anyone at all. A hard-core utilitarian would say that outcomes are all that matter. If option A will create more happiness (or less misery) overall than option B, then option A is ethically correct. Others who think that utilitarian reasons matter, but are incomplete, would say that there is a good reason in favour of option A, but that other considerations (such as human rights) matter too and might sway our overall ethical judgement on the matter. The utilitarian perspective is perhaps best understood when examined in contrast to rights-based perspectives. Consider the question of child labour. A rights-based perspective might say that it is wrong to hire children to do difficult labour, such as working in a factory or in a cotton field. A utilitarian perspective would focus on outcomes: if more good (more happiness) is created overall by giving a child a job, then it is right to do so, even if we agree that in principle it would be better if the child didn’t need the job. See also in CEBE:
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By Chris MacDonald and Alexei Marcoux "The ethical and moral justness of an action depends only on the consequences of that action" What is Utilitarianism?Utilitarianism is a normative theory of ethics that states that the ethical and moral justness of an action depends only on the consequences of that action. An action that increases everyone’s utility is morally and ethically just, whereas an action which decreases everyone’s utility is morally and ethically unjust. Utility is a term used by classical ethical theorists and philosophers to describe happiness and well-being. Quantitative UtilitarianismQuantitative utilitarianism, or Benthamite utilitarianism, is a branch of utilitarianism that was developed out of the work of Jeremy Bentham (1747-1832) – an English philosopher, economist, political scientist, legal scholar, and social reformer. Quantitative utilitarianism is concerned with aggregate utility maximization (i.e., maximizing the overall happiness of everyone) and uses a hedonic calculus to determine the rightness or wrongness of actions. Bentham’s fundamental axiom states that, “It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong.” The concept of hedonic calculus (also known as felicific calculus) was developed by Bentham in his 1789 text, “Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation.” According to quantitative utilitarianism, every action results in some amount of “pleasure” and some amount of “pain” for an individual. Hedonic calculus aggregates the individual “pleasures” and “pains” on the basis of their intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity, and extent. Qualitative UtilitarianismQualitative utilitarianism is a branch of utilitarianism that arose from the work of John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) – an English philosopher, civil servant, and politician. Qualitative utilitarianism rejected hedonic calculus and categorized “pleasures” and “pains” in a more qualitative manner. Mill argued that certain “pleasures” and “pains” were of greater consequence than others, even if there was no quantifiable proof of their increased importance. He argued that “higher pleasures” could only be recognized by those who have experienced them. Criticisms of Utilitarianism1. Human happiness is impossible to quantifyThis is one of the primary criticisms of quantitative utilitarianism. Human perception of the same experience varies greatly among individuals. That fact does not allow for a consistent quantifying process. In addition, all ethical systems stemming from consequentialism (the belief that actions are judged on the basis of their consequences) are limited by the ability to guess at the future consequences of present actions. 2. Aggregate measures of happiness ignore distributional aspectsConsider three actions: X, Y, and Z. The effect of each of the actions on five individuals is given below: Utilitarianism would prefer action Z over actions X and Y. In addition, actions X and Y would be considered equal because they yield the same level of aggregate happiness. 3. The motives behind actions are ignoredConsider two individuals, A and B, who donate $100 and $1,000, respectively, to a charity. Suppose individual A donated the money because he wanted to help the charity and individual B made the donation so that he could improve his own standing in society. Utilitarianism would consider individual B’s donation to be superior to individual A’s donation, despite the fact that it was made with an ulterior, and less noble, motive. More ResourcesCFI offers the Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA)™ certification program for those looking to take their careers to the next level. To keep learning and advancing your career, the following CFI resources will be helpful:
What is utilitarianism simple terms?Utilitarianism is a theory of morality that advocates actions that foster happiness and oppose actions that cause unhappiness. Utilitarianism promotes "the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people."
What is utilitarianism in ethics examples?When individuals are deciding what to do for themselves alone, they consider only their own utility. For example, if you are choosing ice cream for yourself, the utilitarian view is that you should choose the flavor that will give you the most pleasure.
What is the main principle of utilitarianism?1) The basic principle of Mill's Utilitarianism is the greatest happiness principle (PU): an action is right insofar as it maximizes general utility, which Mill identifies with happiness.
What are the 4 major points of utilitarianism?Utilitarian theories generally share four elements: consequentialism, welfarism, impartiality, and aggregationism.
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