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What Is Utilitarianism?

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What Is Utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that states that the best action is the one that maximizes utility. Jeremy Bentham, the founder of utilitarianism, described utility as "the sum of all pleasure that results from an action, minus the suffering of anyone involved in the action." (Encyclopedia Britannica) Followers of utilitarianism have disagreed on a number of points, such as whether actions should be chosen based on their results (act utilitarianism) or whether followers should conform to rules that maximize utility (rule utilitarianism). In Bentham's theory, he argues that all social and political decisions should be made with the aim of achieving the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. In the episode "Cassie and Steve"

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