Utilitarian

Meaning

Designed to be useful or practical rather than attractive; in philosophy, believing that the morally right action is the one that produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

Origin / Etymology

Jeremy Bentham's 18th-century philosophy of Utilitarianism, from Latin utilis (useful)

Synonyms

Practical Functional Consequentialist

Antonyms

Idealistic Aesthetic Deontological

Example Sentence

"A utilitarian argument for reservation policies holds that temporarily restricting merit-based selection is justified because the long-term social good of eliminating structural inequality outweighs short-term efficiency costs."

🎯 UPSC Usage

Use in GS4 Ethics answers when applying philosophical frameworks to policy dilemmas. Contrasts with deontological (duty-based) ethics. Essential for Case Studies where you weigh aggregate benefits against individual rights, reservation, displacement for development, etc.

Relevant Subjects