utilitarianism

/juˈtɪləˌtɛriəˈnɪzəm/

Other forms: utilitarianisms

If you believe in utilitarianism, you believe that the most valuable things are the most useful — and useful to the greatest number of people possible.

General utilitarianism focuses on the utility of things — how useful they are. If you follow utilitarianism, you're probably not going to buy the sleekest, coolest looking car, but the one that gets the best gas mileage and is the most practical. Philosophers Jeremy Bentham and James Mill came up with their own ethical spin on utilitarianism: according to them, we should always be trying to achieve the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.

Definitions of utilitarianism

1. noun

   doctrine that the useful is the good; especially as elaborated by Jeremy Bentham and James Mill; the aim was said to be the greatest happiness for the greatest number
   type of:

   doctrine, ism, philosophical system, philosophy, school of thought

   a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school