Chapter 1: Utilitarianism
Overview
Utilitarianism is a consequentialist ethical theory grounded in the idea that the morality of an action depends solely on its consequences. Its central principle—the greatest happiness principle—holds that actions are right insofar as they tend to promote the greatest happiness or pleasure for the greatest number of people, and wrong insofar as they tend to produce unhappiness or pain. This principle is most closely associated with Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, two influential English philosophers of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Utilitarianism is classified as a consequentialist theory because it judges the morality of an act based on its outcomes rather than the actor’s intentions or the inherent nature of the act itself. It is also considered impartial, in that it does not privilege the interests of any one person over another—all individuals’ happiness counts equally in the utilitarian calculus.
Core Concepts
- Utility: The overall happiness or well-being produced by an action
- Consequentialism: The ethical view that outcomes determine right and wrong
- Greatest Happiness Principle: An action is right if it leads to the greatest happiness for the greatest number
- Impartiality: Each individual’s happiness is equally important in the moral calculation
- Cost-benefit analysis: A practical method used to evaluate options based on expected benefits and harms
In Practice
Watch: This 2-minute video provides a clear and engaging overview of utilitarian thinking, including real-world dilemmas.
Quick Check
Foundational Theorists
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Jeremy Bentham, the founder of classical utilitarianism, proposed a hedonistic calculus to quantify pleasure and pain. He argued that we could, in principle, calculate the net utility of any action by considering factors such as intensity, duration, certainty, and extent (i.e., how many people are affected). For Bentham, all pleasures were equal in kind, differing only in degree.
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John Stuart Mill later refined the theory by distinguishing between higher and lower pleasures. He argued that intellectual and moral pleasures (e.g., reading, artistic appreciation) are superior to mere physical or sensual pleasures (e.g., eating, drinking). Mill’s formulation placed greater emphasis on the quality of happiness, not merely its quantity, which allowed for a more nuanced moral calculus.
References:
Bentham, J. (1890). Utilitarianism. Progressive Publishing Company.
Mill, J. S. (1863). Utilitarianism. London, UK: Parker, Son and Bourn.
