<ethics, utiliarianism> the definition of moral value by utilitarians. As stated by Hutcheson, Bentham, and Mill, the principle is that actions are right only insofar as they tend to produce the greatest balance of pleasure over pain for the largest number of people. Recommended Reading: Francis Hutcheson, Philosophical Writings, ed. by R.S. Downie (Everyman, 1919); Jeremy Bentham, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (Prometheus, 1987); John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism and Other Essays, ed. by Alan Ryan (Viking, 1987); and Alan O. Ebenstein, The Greatest Happiness Principle: An Examination of Utilitarianism (Garland, 1999).
[A Dictionary of Philosophical Terms and Names]
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