Utilitarianism holds that the right action is the one that maximizes overall happiness or utility. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill are the classic proponents. Bentham argued that pleasure and pain are the only intrinsic goods and evils, and that we should aim for the greatest happiness of the greatest number. Mill refined the theory, distinguishing higher and lower pleasures and arguing that intellectual and moral pleasures are superior. Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory. It evaluates actions by their outcomes, not by their intentions or rules. It is also a universal theory. It requires us to consider everyone's happiness equally, not just our own or our group's.

Utilitarianism has been influential in economics, public policy, and ethics. It grounds cost-benefit analysis and welfare economics. It has also been criticized. Critics argue that it can justify sacrificing individuals for the greater good, that it is too demanding, and that it ignores rights and justice. Defenders reply that utilitarianism, properly understood, respects rights and justice because they promote overall happiness. Variants include act utilitarianism, which evaluates individual actions, and rule utilitarianism, which evaluates rules. Preference utilitarianism focuses on satisfying preferences rather than maximizing pleasure. The debate among utilitarians and their critics continues.

Types of utilitarianism

• Act. Evaluate each action by its consequences.
• Rule. Evaluate rules by their consequences.
• Preference. Maximize the satisfaction of preferences.
• Hedonistic. Maximize pleasure and minimize pain.

Utilitarianism is not the same as egoism. Egoism seeks the agent's own happiness. Utilitarianism seeks everyone's happiness equally.