Summary
Highlights
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that judges right from wrong based on outcomes. It's a form of consequentialism, asserting that the most ethical choice yields the greatest good for the most people.
This framework is used to justify military force and war and is commonly applied in business for cost-benefit analysis due to its focus on observable outcomes.
A key limitation is the inability to predict future consequences with certainty, making it difficult to know if actions will truly lead to good or bad outcomes. Additionally, utilitarianism struggles to account for values like justice and individual rights.
An example illustrates this limitation: harvesting a healthy person's organs to save four others would maximize good for the greatest number but is widely considered unethical, highlighting utilitarianism's conflict with individual rights.