Category:Utilitarianism

Philosophical argument, developed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill in 19th century England, which stated that the morality of an action is related to whether it maximizes “utility” (gain) and minimizes harm among humans. It is closely allied with the work of Adam Smith, who argued that the individual pursuit of self-interest was also in the interest of the collective, and continues to be the most influential stream of thinking in liberal economics.