Final answer:
Utilitarianism is concerned with the total amount of happiness in the world. It judges the morality of an action based on its utility or net happiness, aiming to maximize happiness for the most people. This approach evaluates the good or bad consequences of actions by their ability to promote overall well-being.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is concerned with the total amount of happiness in the world. It is a consequentialist theory that suggests the moral rightness of an action is determined by its capacity to produce the greatest good for the greatest number. This philosophical approach was developed by thinkers like Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, who believed in maximizing human happiness and welfare, often summarized by the phrase "the greatest happiness for the greatest number". The Principle of Utility dictates that actions are right if they tend to promote happiness and wrong if they tend to produce the reverse. It's crucial to consider the net happiness, which is the sum of all happiness minus the sum of all unhappiness, when evaluating the consequences of an action.
By considering the potential increase in happiness versus the potential decrease in unhappiness, utilitarians make decisions that should ideally benefit society as a whole. In scenarios like clinical trials, for instance, utilitarian ethics would mandate a balance between scientific goals and the well-being of research subjects, emphasizing the importance of not sacrificing some individuals' happiness for others.