What is utilitarian ethics based on?

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that determines right from wrong by focusing on outcomes. It is a form of consequentialism. Utilitarianism holds that the most ethical choice is the one that will produce the greatest good for the greatest number. This would arguably produce the greatest good for the greatest number.

What is the main idea of a utilitarian approach to ethics quizlet?

Basic moral principle of Utilitarianism; actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.

What is the basis of the Utilitarianism approach?

Utilitarianism starts from the basis that pleasure and happiness are intrinsically valuable, that pain and suffering are intrinsically disvaluable, and that anything else has value only in its causing happiness or preventing suffering (i.e. “instrumental”, or as means to an end).

What is the main idea of a utilitarian approach to ethics?

Utilitarianism holds that the most ethical choice is the one that will produce the greatest good for the greatest number. As such, it is the only moral framework that can justify military force or war.

What are the main principles of utilitarianism?

There are three principles that serve as the basic axioms of utilitarianism.

• Pleasure or Happiness Is the Only Thing That Truly Has Intrinsic Value.
• Actions Are Right Insofar as They Promote Happiness, Wrong Insofar as They Produce Unhappiness.
• Everyone’s Happiness Counts Equally.

Who is Karl Marx and why is he important quizlet?

German writer and economist, founded modern socialism. After the Revolution of 1848, he was exiled from Prussia, moved to Paris, and eventually settled in England.

What are the two main features of utilitarianism?

Rule-utilitarianism: morality involves examining the pleasurable and painful consequences of the moral rules that we adopt. Act-utilitarianism involves a two-tiered system of moral evaluation: (1) selecting a particular action, and (2) evaluating that action by appealing to the criterion of general happiness.

What’s a good example of the utilitarian theory?

Utilitarianism is a philosophy or belief suggesting that an action is morally right if the majority of people benefit from it. An example of utilitarianism was the belief that dropping the atomic bomb on Japan was a good idea since it potentially saved more lives than it lost.

What are the theories of utilitarianism?

Utilitarianism is a consequentialist ethical theory that was brought in the open by Jeremy Bentham and expanded by John Mill . The theory states that the morally correct action is the one that maximizes happiness and minimizes sadness equally for everyone involved.

What are the key features of utilitarianism?

Key Features of Utilitarianism. Examine the key features of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is an ethical philosophy which focuses on pleasure, and decides wether an act is morally right if it brings pleasure to the majority of people involved.

What is the goal of utilitarianism?

The primary goal of utilitarianism is to maximize utility. How that’s done or measured is a disputed issue.