UTILITY: ETHICS BASED ON Consequence of the Act

Abstract

This article aims to discuss utilitarianism, one of the most important theories of philosophical thinking about ethics. With more than a century and a half of existence, utilitarian thinking has evolved historically, becoming, today, one of the most sophisticated and respected philosophical schools. The utilitarian theory analyzes human actions from the perspective of utility and its consequences, calculating the contribution of such actions to general happiness. The consequences of actions, regardless of the agent's real character and intent, are the main point of the utilitarian theory, because only they can generate pleasure and pain. The fundamentals of moral conduct will be emphasized, mainly, the evaluation of human behavior through a single criterion of morality, the consequence of the act. In this context, an approach will be based on the foundation of this theory of generating the apex of pleasure and decrease pain, reaching the largest possible number of people. Achieving happiness is the goal of all the human conducts and the only requirement in the judgment of actions. Lastly, utilitarianism has been strongly influenced by the historical context, but has maintained over time the collective desire to solve the problem of humanity in achieving supreme happiness and simultaneously to discourage individualistic actions, tracing human behavior along the path of morality and ethics.