Final answer:
Utilitarianism is the moral philosophy that evaluates actions based on their consequences, aiming for the greatest good for the greatest number. It is a consequentialist approach, emphasizing the principle of utility or greatest happiness, distinguishing it from deontological ethics and egoistic or hedonistic standpoints.
Step-by-step explanation:
Utilitarianism and its Principles
The moral philosophy which evaluates the morality of an action on the basis of its consequences for everyone affected, and seeks the greatest good for the greatest number, is utilitarianism. Developed by Jeremy Bentham and later advanced by John Stuart Mill, utilitarianism is a consequentialist approach where the rightness of an action is judged by whether it produces the most utility, generally considered as happiness or pleasure. According to this view, an action is deemed moral if it leads to the maximum benefit for the maximum number of people involved.
Consequentialism, which is central to utilitarian thinking, dictates that the morality of an action is determined by its overall outcomes or consequences. The principle of utility or the greatest happiness principle guides this theory, which suggests that an action is right if it tends to promote happiness and wrong if it tends to produce the opposite. This perspective encourages calculations that aim at maximizing well-being across the affected populace.
Utilitarianism differs from other ethical frameworks like act deontology and rule deontology, which focus on adherence to moral duties or rules, and from egoism and hedonism, which are concerned with individual interests and pleasure respectively. Within utilitarianism, a distinction is made between act utilitarianism, which applies the happiness principle on a case-by-case basis, and rule utilitarianism, which holds that following certain rules generally leads to the greatest happiness. Regardless of the type, utilitarianism remains focused on the outcomes of actions and their implications for general welfare.