MIXORA CONCEPT
Utilitarianism
A family of consequentialist theories that evaluates actions or rules by their contribution to overall well-being or utility.
Utilitarian views differ about what well-being is, how it is measured, whether acts or rules are assessed, and how uncertainty and distribution matter. Impartial aggregation is central, not personal convenience.
What “Interpretation” means
This is a philosophical distinction, theory or contested way of organizing a question—not an empirical diagnosis with one universally accepted answer.
VISUAL EXPLANATION · MARKER BOARDA utilitarian analysis of a policy compares its expected effects on everyone affected rather than only the decision maker.
Utilitarianism is one major form of consequentialism, not a synonym for every outcome-sensitive view.
Whose well-being counts, how is it compared, and are acts or rules being evaluated?
A family of moral theories that evaluates choices centrally by the value of their consequences.
→thoughtDeontologyA family of moral theories centered on duties, permissions, prohibitions or rights rather than consequences alone.
→thoughtVirtue ethicsAn approach to ethics that gives central importance to character, practical wisdom and human flourishing.
→thoughtProbabilityA formal way to represent uncertainty or long-run regularity, depending on the interpretation used.
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References
Last reviewed
- 01ConsequentialismReference source
Walter Sinnott-Armstrong · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Consequentialist theories and the place of utilitarianism within them.
What the source labels mean
- Primary source
- Original work, experiment, standard or historical text.
- Academic source
- Scholarly research or review published for an academic audience.
- Reference source
- An expert standard, encyclopedia or institutional explanation that summarizes a field.
- General reference
- A practical specialist resource useful for application, but not treated as decisive research by itself.