A philosophical doctrine is called utilitarianism.
Utilitarianism is a philosophical doctrine that places utility as a principle of morality . It is a teleological ethical system that determines the moral conception based on the final result .
It is a word that has its etymological origin in Latin. Thus, we can see that it is made up of two Latin parts: the word utilitas , which can be translated as "useful quality" , and the suffix -ism , which is equivalent to "doctrine" .
Characteristics of utilitarianism
One of the most important philosophical ethics of the 19th century was utilitarianism which, we can make clear, has among its fundamental principles what is known as social welfare. All of this without forgetting another of its most relevant maxims or objectives, such as the promotion of all freedoms.
Results, therefore, are the basis of utilitarianism. Jeremy Bentham ( 1748 – 1832 ) was one of the pioneers in the development of this philosophy , proposing his ethical system around the notion of pleasure and away from physical pain. Bentham 's utilitarianism appears related to hedonism , since he considers that moral actions are those that maximize pleasure and minimize pain.
It is interesting to keep in mind that the break that Bentham established with respect to the classicism of previous societies was perfectly expressed in works such as the one entitled “Introduction to the principles of morals and legislation.”
In this type and in others of a similar nature, it was clear that what is good will be everything that gives pleasure to a greater number of people without in any case taking into consideration their social status. A statement that he also established with the creation and development of what he called the calculation of pleasures, a series of rules that helped him to be clear, based on those criteria, what was good and what was bad.
Social well-being and happiness are topics of interest for utilitarianism.
Mill's contributions
John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) avanzó con el desarrollo de esta filosofía, aunque apartándose del hedonismo. Para Mill, el placer o felicidad general debe calcularse a partir del mayor bien para el mayor número de personas, aunque reconoce que ciertos placeres tienen una “top quality” a otros.
Among the contributions that Mill made to utilitarianism, the fact that he considered that in order to have moral quality, society must be educated and informed stands out.
The innovation of utilitarianism
It is important to keep in mind that utilitarianism represented a break in the way of thinking. While religious morality was based on rules and divine revelations, utilitarianism put results first. In this way, reason replaced faith in the determination of morality.
Utilitarianism always stood out for its relative simplicity. To think if an action is moral, all you need to do is estimate its positive and negative consequences. When the good outweighs the bad, it can be considered a moral action.
Beyond the philosophical system, the notion of utilitarianism has a critical meaning to name the attitude that values utility in an exaggerated way and that puts its achievement before anything else.