utilitarianism
yoo-til-ih-TAIR-ee-uh-niz-um
/juːˌtɪlɪˈtɛəriənɪzəm/
The doctrine that actions are right if they promote the greatest happiness or benefit for the greatest number of people.
A specific consequentialist theory that quantifies moral good as total social welfare or utility.
The story behind the word. John Stuart Mill popularized 'utilitarianism' in 1861, building on Jeremy Bentham's philosophy. Rooted in Latin 'utilis' (useful), Bentham argued that social policies must maximize 'utility'—the net balance of pleasure over pain across society.
Word relationships
- welfarism: Welfarism specifically focuses on economic and material well-being, whereas utilitarianism encompasses total happiness and utility.
- deontology: Deontology rejects outcome-maximizing formulas in favor of non-negotiable moral duties.
Commonly confused with
- hedonism: Hedonism focuses on maximizing pleasure, whereas utilitarianism requires impartial calculation of net utility across all affected individuals.
Word family
- utilitarian (adjective): Designed to be useful; relating to utilitarianism
- utilitarian (noun): An adherent of utilitarianism
Collocations
- act utilitarianism
- rule utilitarianism
- classical utilitarianism
- embrace utilitarianism
Example sentences
- "Classic utilitarianism as articulated by Jeremy Bentham sought to quantify pleasure and pain into a mathematical moral calculus." Political philosophy text
- "Under strict utilitarianism, a public policy project is justified if its overall social benefit outweighs the cost to a small minority." Public policy evaluation
Memory hook
UTILity = usefulness; UTILITARIANISM = maximizing useful happiness for the maximum number of people. Greatest good for the greatest number.
When not to use
Do not use to mean simple practical usefulness; use 'utility' or 'practicality' for non-philosophical objects.
Fun facts
- Jeremy Bentham requested that his body be preserved and displayed at University College London, where his 'auto-icon' still sits in a glass cabinet today.
Related words
Explore more words
utilitarian, utility, altruistic, marginalism, distributive, eudaimonia
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