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Utilitarianism is a philosophical principle which calls for actions to be judged on their usefulness (or magnitude of reward) to society or select individuals.

Utilitarianism is a political, and later philosophical, principle which calls for actions to be judged on their usefulness (or magnitude of reward) to society or select individuals.

Jeremy Bentham, one of utilitarianism's early proponents, called the process of determining the most useful possible action the hedonistic calculus. One would, according to Bentham, measure the pleasure of certain actions against the pleasure of other actions. The problems of such a calculus include the feasibility of interpersonal utility comparisons, the weighting of utility through time, and the "artificial" utility gained not from actual actions but from, for example, avoiding risk. The theoretical person which nonetheless succeeds in undertaking such a computation is said to be a [[rational actor]].

Jeremy Bentham, one of utilitarianism's early proponents, called the process of determining the most useful possible action the hedonistic calculus. One would, according to Bentham, measure the pleasure of certain actions against the pleasure of other actions. The problems of such a calculus include the feasibility of interpersonal utility comparisons, the weighting of utility through time, and the "artificial" utility gained not from actual actions but from, for example, avoiding risk. The theoretical person which nonetheless succeeds in undertaking such a computation is said to be a [[rational actor]].

==Utilitarianism in the social sciences==

==Utilitarianism in the social sciences==

Across the social sciences, utilitarianism is encountered in the guise of rational choice theories. In [[economics]], it is the foundation of [[marginal analysis]]. In these academic contexts, utilitarianism loses nearly all of its positive side, and serves only as a tool for the analysis of social behavior. The partial exception to this lies in the field of [[welfare economics]], where some economists have tried to apply modern forms of the "hedonistic calculus" to issues of public choice.

Across the social sciences, utilitarianism is encountered in the form of rational choice theories. In [[economics]], it is the foundation of [[marginal analysis]]. In these academic contexts, utilitarianism serves as a tool for the analysis of social behavior. The partial exception to this lies in the field of [[welfare economics]], where some economists have tried to apply modern forms of the "hedonistic calculus" to issues of public choice.

==Critiques of utilitarianism==

==Critiques of utilitarianism==