Question

________ is the theory that holds that actions that generate greater happiness are judged to be better than actions that lead to unhappiness.

A) Utilitarianism
B) Deontology
C) Virtue ethics
D) Consequentialism

Answer 1

Utilitarianism is the theory that holds that actions that generate greater happiness are judged to be better than actions that lead to unhappiness.The correct option is A.

Step-by-step explanation:

Utilitarianism is the theory that holds that actions that generate greater happiness are judged to be better than actions that lead to unhappiness. Utilitarians argue that what is right is whatever produces the most utility, the most usefulness. They identify happiness with utility. The principle of utility states that "actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness" (Mill [1861] 2001, 7). Classic utilitarians like Bentham and Mill believed that pleasure and pain are basic, primary means by which people navigate the world and find motivation. The greatest happiness principle (or principle of utility) tells us that actions are right that produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number. When an agent evaluates the moral rightness of an action, they consider the happiness of all affected by the consequences.