Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for all affected individuals. Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different characterizations, the basic idea behind all of them is to in some sense maximize utility, which is often defined in terms of well-being or related concepts. For instance, Jeremy Bentham, the founder of utilitarianism, described utility as "that property in any object, whereby it tends to produce benefit, advantage, pleasure, good, or happiness...[or] to prevent the happening of mischief, pain, evil, or unhappiness to the party whose interest is considered." Utilitarianism is a …

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CESifo Network · 15 April 2024 English

Meritocratic Labor Income Taxation

The meritocratic criteria would collapse to utilitarianism if the re- lationship were a flat line, such and wage rates entails less redistribution. Utilitarianism implies no correlation between average meritocratic under total meritocracy to 33−34 percent under utilitarianism. This difference continues to grow as income trans- fers are 48 percent of median income for utilitarianism, 46 percent for partial meritocracy and 44 policy according to other criteria, such as utilitarianism. The optimal meritocratic tax system is a redistributive


RAND Corporation · 12 March 2024 English

This report is part of a larger RAND study on the societal foundations of national competitiveness. The authors surveyed Chinese and Russian thinking about the qualities of nations that tend …

on achievements, autonomy, egalitarianism, utilitarianism, quality of life, and 31 Zhang Lihua, “China’s


Institute for Policy Integrity · 12 March 2024 English

cost-benefit analysis); KYSAR, supra note 29, at 13 (mentioning taking “a seeming detour” to discussing “utilitarianism” as analogous to “cost-benefit analysis,” and rejecting the former on the way to rejecting the

(calling “welfarism” “broader” than “Benthamite utilitarianism” and noting that, while welfarism “does not (mentioning taking “a seeming detour” to discussing “utilitarianism” as analogous to “cost-benefit analysis,” and agreed upon within the welfarist framework of utilitarianism. Moreover, even if one argues that cost-benefit cost-benefit analysis differs from utilitarianism, and that the former is compatible with competing ethical


HDRO: United Nations Human Development Report Office · 11 March 2024 English

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Human Development Report Office …

A. 2016. “Does Localized Imi- gether? Neo-Utilitarianism and the Social Constructivist tation Drive


IMF: International Monetary Fund · 4 March 2024 English

on what philosophers say about equality. When pressed, we usually fall back on an income-based utilitarianism. We often equate well-being with money or consumption, missing much of what matters to people

pressed, we usually fall back on an income-based utilitarianism. We often equate well-being to money or consumption


NBER: National Bureau of Economic Research · 1 March 2024 English

The standard revealed-preference approach to welfare economics encounters fundamental difficulties when the act of choosing directly affects welfare through emotions such as guilt, pride, and anxiety. We address this problem …

contentious (see, e.g., Nozick, 1974, who criticizes utilitarianism by describing a thought experiment involving


ACUS: Atlantic Council of the United States · 27 February 2024 English

The more specific and informed the consent regime, the lesser ceptable secondary and tertiary uses These expectations are the future liability and the stronger the trust relationship with often context …

at the highest level Inclusive consideration>Utilitarianism Protect and plan for the most vulnerable populations


INET Oxford: Institute for New Economic Thinking · 5 February 2024

For example, during the COVID pandemic, the World Health Organization coordinated efforts to develop and distribute vaccines and treatments across countries, while governments of individual countries worked to slow the …

It is of course related to the philosophy of utilitarianism, which argues that the morally right action maximizes overall utility. In political contexts, utilitarianism is concerned with policies that maximize “the


Heritage Foundation · 1 February 2024 English

It relies on the virtue of honesty: The oath-taker is committing to telling the truth about the Constitution, and that truth is the Constitution’s original meaning. [...] The Constitution’s original …

While it is likely that a deep commitment to utilitarianism is inconsistent with American conservatism


UK Covid-19 Inquiry · 1 February 2024 English

The Coronavirus Act, the UK Parliament Coronavirus Act, 12 So now with the -- in the world outside the 12 accords, in its schedules, powers, given the public 13 European …

did not prevent 21 weaknesses. 22 excessive utilitarianism in healthcare and/or 22 Secondly, for disabled


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