Utilitarianism is a theory of morality that advocates actions that foster happiness or

pleasure and oppose actions that cause unhappiness or harm. When directed toward
making social, economic, or political decisions, a utilitarian philosophy would aim for
the betterment of society as a whole.
Utilitarianism would say that an action is right if it results in the happiness of the greatest
number of people in a society or a group.

Utilitarianism is a tradition of ethical philosophy that is associated with Jeremy Bentham

(1747-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), two late 18th- and 19th-century British
philosophers, economists, and political thinkers.
Utilitarianism holds that an action is right if it tends to promote happiness and
wrong if it tends to produce sadness, or the reverse of happiness—not just the happiness
of the actor but that of everyone affected by it.

Pleasure, or happiness, is the only thing that has intrinsic value

To say that something has intrinsic value means that it is simply good in itself. Intrinsic
value contrasts with instrumental value. Something has instrumental value when it is a
means to some end.

Actions are right if they promote happiness, and wrong if they promote
unhappiness.
This principle is quite controversial since it involves that the moral quality of an action is
decided by the size of its consequences. So long as an action produces maximum
benefits for the greatest number of people, utilitarianism does not care whether the
results are driven by immoral motives. However, this principle can be refuted since most
people would agree that the moral quality of an action depends on the motive or
intention behind it.

Although this axiom may seem quite obvious, this principle of equality was
radical and progressive in Bentham's time. By then, it was commonly accepted that
some lives and some people's happiness were simply more important and valuable
than others. Betham's principle of equality makes the government responsible for
creating policies that would benefit all equally, not just the elite.
 Jeremy Bentham describes his "greatest happiness principle" in
Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, a 1789
publication in which he writes: "Nature has placed mankind under the
governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them
alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what
we shall do. “

John Stuart Mill had many years to absorb and reflect on Jeremy
Bentham's thoughts on utilitarianism by the time he published his own
work, Utilitarianism, in 1863.

"Rule" Utilitarian Ethics

An example of rule utilitarianism in business is tiered pricing for a product
or service for different types of customers. In the airline industry, for example,
many planes offer first-, business-, and economy-class seats. Customers who fly
in first or business class pay a much higher rate than those in economy seats, but
they also get more amenities—simultaneously, people who cannot afford
upper-class seats benefit from the economy rates. This practice produces the
highest good for the greatest number of people.

And the airline benefits, too. The more expensive upper-class seats help to
ease the financial burden that the airline created by making room for
economy-class seats.

"Act" Utilitarian Ethics

An example of act utilitarianism could be when pharmaceutical
companies release drugs that have been governmentally approved, but with
known minor side effects because the drug is able to help more people than
are bothered by the side effects. Act utilitarianism often demonstrates the
concept that “the end justifies the means”—or it's worth it.

Utilitarianism puts forward that it is a virtue to improve one's life better by

increasing the good things in the world and minimizing the bad things. This
means striving for pleasure and happiness while avoiding discomfort or
unhappiness.
 A utilitarian is a person who holds the beliefs of utilitarianism. Today, these
people might be described as cold and calculating, practical, and perhaps
selfish—since they may seek their own pleasure at the expense of the social
good at times.

Quantitative utilitarianism is a branch of utilitarianism that was developed

out of the work of Jeremy Bentham. Quantitative utilitarians focus on utility
maximization, that is, maximizing the overall happiness of everyone, and use a
hedonic approach to determine the rightness or wrongness of actions. Bentham
defined as the foundation of his philosophy the principle that “it is the greatest
happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong”.

Qualitative utilitarianism is a branch of utilitarianism that arose from the

work of John Stuart Mill. Qualitative utilitarians categorize pleasures and pains in
a more qualitative manner, depending on the level of their consequences, and
disregarding any quantifiable proof of their importance.

In the workplace, though, utilitarian ethics are difficult to achieve. These ethics
also can be challenging to maintain in our business culture, where a capitalistic
economy often teaches people to focus on themselves at the expense of
others. Similarly, monopolistic competition teaches one business to flourish at the
expense of others.

 Utilitarianism also cannot predict with certainty whether the

consequences of our actions will be good or bad—the results of our
actions happen in the future.
 Utilitarianism also has trouble accounting for values like justice and
individual rights. For example, say a hospital has four people whose lives
depend upon receiving organ transplants: a heart, lungs, a kidney, and a
liver. If a healthy person wanders into the hospital, his organs could be
harvested to save four lives at the expense of his one life. This would
arguably produce the greatest good for the greatest number. But few
would consider it an acceptable course of action, let alone an ethical
one.