act utilitarianism

Act utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism where the morality of an action is determined by its consequences. It posits that the right action is the one that produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people. This contrasts with deontological ethics, which judges actions based on rules or duties, regardless of outcomes.12

Key figures in utilitarianism include Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. Bentham believed that pleasure and pain are the ultimate motivators and that actions should be judged by their ability to increase pleasure and decrease pain. Mill, while agreeing with the principle of utility, distinguished between higher and lower pleasures, suggesting that intellectual and moral pleasures are qualitatively superior to purely physical ones.3145

Act utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of individual actions, whereas rule utilitarianism judges actions based on whether they adhere to general rules that, if followed, would lead to the best overall consequences.12