ABSTRACT
You have probably heard someone justify their actions as being for the greater good. Utilitarianism is the ethical theory behind such justifications.
Utilitarianism is a teleological theory of ethics. It is the opposite of deontological ethical theories that are based on moral rules, on whether the action itself is right or wrong. Teleological theories of ethics look at the consequences – the results of an action – to decide whether it is right or wrong. Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory.
