Utilitarianism

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Utilitarianism is a school of thought about ethics advocated by, among others, John Stewart Mill and Jeremy Bentham.

Its core idea is that the moral worth of an action is determined solely by its utility in providing happiness or pleasure as summed among all sentient beings. It is thus a form of consequentialism, meaning that the moral worth of an action is determined by its outcome.

"A rational approach to ethics becomes possible once we realize that questions of right and wrong are really questions about the happiness and suffering of sentient creatures."

Sam Harris, The End of Faith

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