Meaning & use
utilitarianism
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
An ethical theory that judges actions by whether they produce the greatest overall happiness or benefit for the greatest number of people.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun: talk about utilitarianism in general, not 'a utilitarianism'.
Patterns
- utilitarianism holds that ...
- a form of utilitarianism
- the rise of utilitarianism
Utilitarianism holds that the right action is the one that produces the greatest overall happiness.
In her ethics class, she compared utilitarianism with deontology, which focuses on rules and duties.
Critics say utilitarianism can justify sacrificing a few people for the benefit of many.
noununcountablefigurative
The practical attitude of making decisions by weighing costs and benefits for the majority.
Grammar: Used in a looser, everyday sense to describe a cost-benefit approach, not a formal philosophical system.
Patterns
- political utilitarianism
- economic utilitarianism
Some see the new tax as crude utilitarianism: whatever raises the most revenue is declared best.
His political utilitarianism made him support any policy that pleased the most voters.
Common combinations
- act utilitarianism
- Act utilitarianism asks whether each individual action maximizes happiness.
- rule utilitarianism
- Rule utilitarianism asks which general rules, if followed, would maximize happiness.
- classical utilitarianism
- Classical utilitarianism was developed by Bentham and Mill.
- a utilitarian argument
- She made a utilitarian argument for spending more on public health.
- on utilitarian grounds
- The policy was defended on utilitarian grounds.
Synonyms and how they differ
- consequentialism
- A broader term: it judges actions only by their outcomes, while utilitarianism specifically aims at the greatest overall happiness.
- cost-benefit thinking
- An everyday phrase for weighing gains against losses; it lacks the moral theory's focus on everyone's happiness.
Opposites
Word family
- utilitarian adjective
- Relating to utilitarianism, or designed to be useful rather than beautiful.
- utilitarian noun
- A person who supports utilitarianism.
Commonly confused: utilitarianism or utilitarian?
utilitarianism vs utilitarian
Utilitarianism is the theory; utilitarian is the adjective or a person who holds it.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'utilitarianism' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option C uses 'utilitarianism' as an uncountable noun for the theory. Option A needs 'utilitarian' (a person). Option B needs a plural subject like 'Utilitarians'. Option D confuses the theory with a person, who is a utilitarian.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “utilitarianism”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.