Final answer:
Utilitarianism does not only mean "the most good for the most people" but involves a nuanced moral evaluation of actions based on their consequences to promote overall happiness. The principle of utility considers the quality and intensity of happiness, long-term effects, and moral standards, rather than just the quantity of people affected.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is inaccurate to say that utilitarianism means "the most good for the most people" because utilitarianism is more nuanced than this simple phrase suggests. Utilitarianism, as proposed by philosophers like Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, is a form of consequentialism that evaluates the morality of actions based on their outcomes. The fundamental criterion for this evaluation is the principle of utility, which posits that actions are right if they tend to promote happiness and reduce suffering.
The phrase "the most good for the most people" oversimplifies the principle of utility by focusing solely on the quantity of people affected, rather than considering the quality and intensity of happiness or unhappiness produced. Moreover, utilitarianism also considers the long-term consequences and the overall level of happiness or unhappiness that an action may cause, as well as the necessity of adhering to moral standards and upholding societal structures like trust in the judicial system.
In practice, utilitarians would weigh the outcomes of an action not just by the number of people made happy, but by the net happiness generated or the aggregate of both happiness and unhappiness involved. This assessment can be quite complex and is subject to debate among utilitarians themselves when considering cases with conflicting interests or potential harm to some individuals.