What is Utilitarianism? ?

Question

Is simple terms what is it? For example is it a religion? A way of life? A belief of certain religion? A theory?

Answer 1

It's the theory that the an action's place on the spectrum of morality is determined by it's utility (or the outcome).

as a simple example,

if feeding the poor OR stomping puppies will both bring about the same desired outcome, they are both deemed "good"

It's really just "the end justifies the means" expanded upon.

  

Answer 2

It's a philosophy, Utilitarianism's greatest proponent was the English philosopher John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). Utilitarianism has an ethical dimension (speaks to issues of right and wrong.)

The actual originator of utilitarianism was Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832). Bentham held that an action was useful if it contributed to the amount of pleasure in the world--the more it did so, the better the action was. This was its utility ( = utilitarian). Mill refined Bentham's notion. He said that physical pleasure, on which Bentham focused, was trivial but that cultural, spiritual, and intellectual pleasure was more important. This was one of Mill's principal contributions to world philosophy.

I see how Mill has a greater mind, but I am sometimes confused by the notion of intellectual pleasure. Much thinking leads to pain. Bentham's ideas at least seem measurable and incontrovertible.

Answer 3

It's an ethical theory propounded by John Stuart Mill.

Generally, it just states that the worth of anything is solely determined by how useful it is to society. "The greatest good for the greatest number."

See the following for more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarian...