Level 51
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Ethics and Moral Philosophy

Consequentialism and Utilitarianism

The consequentialist tradition that evaluates the rightness of actions by their outcomes, tracing a line from Bentham's felicific calculus through Mill, Sidgwick, and Singer to contemporary refinements of utilitarian theory.

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. Bentham's Hedonic Calculus and the Principle of Utility. Bentham founded utilitarianism on the principle of utility and a calculable hedonic calculus.
  2. Mill's Qualitative Distinction between Higher and Lower Pleasures. Mill distinguished higher intellectual pleasures from lower bodily ones by quality, not just quantity.
  3. Act Utilitarianism versus Rule Utilitarianism. Act utilitarianism judges each act directly; rule utilitarianism judges acts by beneficial rules.
  4. Sidgwick and the Methods of Ethics. Sidgwick's Methods of Ethics left egoism and utilitarian benevolence in an unresolved rational conflict.
  5. Preference Utilitarianism and Singer's Practical Ethics. Singer's preference utilitarianism judges outcomes by how well they satisfy people's interests.
  6. The Demandingness Objection and the Experience Machine. Nozick's experience machine and the demandingness objection both challenge naive utilitarian hedonism.
  7. Consequentialism and Distributive Justice. Rawls objected that utilitarian aggregation ignores the separateness of persons in distributing goods.
  8. Contemporary Debates: Effective Altruism and Utilitarian Practice. Effective altruism applies utilitarian cost-effectiveness reasoning to modern global philanthropy.

This module continues after "Deontology and Kantian Ethics" in the syllabus. If you haven't reviewed it yet, it may help set the context.

Key points

Visual module map

1Bentham's Hedonic Calculus and the Principle of Utility
2Act Utilitarianism versus Rule Utilitarianism
3Preference Utilitarianism and Singer's Practical Ethics
4The Demandingness Objection and the Experience Machine
5Contemporary Debates: Effective Altruism and Utilitarian Practice

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

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Final test

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Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Bentham, J. (1789). An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. London: T. Payne and Son.
  • Mill, J.S. (1863). Utilitarianism. London: Parker, Son, and Bourn.
  • Sidgwick, H. (1874). The Methods of Ethics. London: Macmillan.
  • Smart, J.J.C., and Williams, B. (1973). Utilitarianism: For and Against. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Singer, P. (2011). Practical Ethics (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Rawls, J. (1971). A Theory of Justice. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.