Consequentialist philosophy originally espoused by 18th century writer Jeremy Bentham whereby the best policy is that which gives the greatest happiness to the greatest number.

1827, from utilitarian + -ism. The doctrine that the end of all action should be the greatest happiness of the greatest number.

A philosophical view that the value or worth of an action depends on the amount of pleasure it generates or the amount of pain it prevents, or in economic terms, the amount of utility generated. Utili [..]

n. The ethical doctrine that actions are right because they are useful or of beneficial tendency.

Normative theory that human conduct is right or wrong because of its tendency to produce favorable or unfavorable consequences for the people who are affected by it. The hedonistic utilitarianism of B [..]

an ethical theory based upon the premise that the good is to be explained as that which brings the most joy; thus, an act is thought to be moral if, due to potential other options, it renders the most [..]

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that holds that the proper course of action in any circumstances is the one that maximizes utility (maximizing happiness and minimizing suffering) This theory was p [..]

Utilitarianism is the view that actions are right because they are useful.

Ethical system developed by the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) in  which right is perceived as that which brings greatest happiness (construed as  pleasure, or the absence of displeasu [..]

Utilitarianism is a philosophical and economic doctrine that the best social policy is that which does the most good for the greatest number of people. It is a form of consequentialism, meaning that t [..]

(n) doctrine that the useful is the good; especially as elaborated by Jeremy Bentham and James Mill; the aim was said to be the greatest happiness for the greatest number

Utilitarianism is the position that believes that an action is morally correct if its actions benefit more people than it harms. It is related to consequentialism.

a moral theory, now having several variants, which holds that the rightness of an action depends on its consequences, specifically its contribution to increasing happiness, with the ultimate aim being [..]

The Puritan Cotton Mather: "What is not useful is vicious," that is, whatever cannot be eaten, worn, sold, or otherwise used by human beings is evil. The term is in quotation marks to distinguish this use of it from the Utilitarian school of philosophy.

One of the major theoretical approaches in Western ethics often associated with John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) and Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832).  Utilitarians advocate maximizing the overall amount of ple [..]

An Ethical Theory which holds that the morality of an act or a Policy can be determined by whether it produces the greatest net benefit. (Bioethics Thesaurus)

An ethical philosophy in which moral decisions are based on the utility of an action. In this line of thinking, human and nonhuman interests are afforded the same value, bu [..]

Intense, long, certain, speedy, fruitful, pure – Such marks in pleasures and in pains endure. Such pleasures seek if private be thy end; If it be public, ...

A moral philosophy, generally operating on the principle that the utility (happiness or satisfaction) of different people can not only be measured but also meaningfully summed over people and that uti [..]

A moral theory that says that what is moral right is whatever produces the greatest overall amount of pleasure (hedonistic utilitarianism) or happiness (eudaimonistic utilitarianism). Some utilitarian [..]

(philosophy) A system of ethics based on the premise that something's value may be measured by its usefulness. (philosophy) The theory that action should be directed toward achieving the "greatest [..]