How does rule utilitarianism evaluate moral rules?

Rule utilitarianism evaluates the morality of individual actions by determining whether they conform to a set of established moral rules, rather than calculating the consequences of each specific act.12

In this framework, a rule is considered "useful" or justified if its general practice produces the best overall consequences, such as maximizing happiness or maintaining social security. Once a rule is established on these consequentialist grounds—for example, a general prohibition against stealing—individual actions are judged as right or wrong based on their adherence to that rule, regardless of the specific outcome of a single instance.123

This approach was developed to address concerns that classical act-utilitarianism might permit morally intuitive wrongs, such as stealing or lying, if they happened to produce a favorable outcome in a particular case. By prioritizing adherence to beneficial general principles, rule utilitarianism aims to align more closely with ordinary moral consciousness while remaining rooted in the goal of achieving the best possible consequences for society.123