Talk:Utilitarianism

I edited this for accuracy. The ends justify the means according to Bentham and other utilitarians only so much as they promote human flourishing and happiness. I am a former utilitarian, and have a fairly thorough knowledge of the subject, but rejected it for a number of reasons.

I deleted the statement that utilitarianism goes against "Christianity" because such an argument, though probably true, cannot be accurately supported.--Ollie Garkey 08:43, 12 March 2007 (EDT)

Does this topic relate to "marginal utility theory" which underpins most of modern microeconomics? It's seems to me that use of marginal utility theory and its indifference curves to analyze human behavior fundamentally embraces some version of the utilitarian ideal. At a minimum both looks to the maximization of "utility" as the primary good. I am not prepared to say that microeconomics is against Christianity.--JesusSaves 17:25, 17 March 2007 (EDT)

Cut from article:

Most critiques of utilitarianism rest on a very narrow definition of utility as derived from completely private, completely tangible goods alone. This does not reflect the way in which utilitarianism is typically presented in contemporary social science. For example, utilitarian models have been developed whereby actors maximize altruism and salvation, among other goods.

This should not be presented as a retort but explained in the main body of the article. --Ed Poor 12:08, 30 April 2007 (EDT)