What is Utilitarianism?

What is Utilitarianism?

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory founded by founded by Jeremy Bentham and developed and popularized by John Stuart Mill.

It is a form of consequentialist ethics and, as its name suggests, is founded on the principle of utility (i.e. that property an object that tends to produce pleasure or happiness and prevents pain or unhappiness).

The aim of utilitarianism is to maximize utility, or the happiness and well-being of all affected individuals.

As such, for utilitarianism, an act is morally good if it produces the greatest happiness or pleasure to the greatest number of people, and bad if it produces more pain than pleasure to the greatest number of people.

Video Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:03 What is Utilitarianism?
1:01 An Example
1:36 Jeremy Bentham's Model of Utilitarianism
2:10 The Felicific Calculus

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Language and Ideas

[Subarashikoenohito-yemn]

My favorite philosopher is Mill, So i am interested in Utilitarianism. Your example of Robin hudd is good to understand to difference between Christian Ethics and Utilitarianism.

[alvisalbert]

I am confused how bentham quntiied pain & pleasure like these fall in the context of feelings & subjective.

[cryptodanchikddd]

I think utiliarianism is stupid, just because it is the RIGHT choice doesn't mean its the MORALLY RIGHT choice

[stephenwarren]

Most of the video is very good EXCEPT the part on Christian ethics (1:23), i.e. "stealing from the rich is immoral because it deprives the rich of the right that is due to them." Where in the Bible does it say that? I seriously doubt that moral or ethical rules for the rich are part of the scriptures.