Utilitarianism was developed by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) because he was interested in social reform due to how the Industrial Revolution left little rich people and many poor people and vulnerable to diseases due to poor living conditions. Bentham's theory took the name "act utilitarianism", an important characteristic of utilitarianism because it is based on the principle of utility. This is a term originally coined by Francis Hutcheson "the greatest good for the greatest number" and used by Bentham as a key principle of a fully developed ethical theory. An important characteristic of utilitarianism is that it is act-centered, meaning that the theory focuses on the moral value of an action rather than the value of a person's character. Each action is judged on its ability to bring the greatest good (happiness) to the greatest number. Utilitarianism is a relativist theory according to which the right or wrong of an action depends on its ability to bring about the greatest good in a given situation. For example, euthanasia can produce large amounts of happiness in a given situation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Additionally, an important feature of utilitarianism is a consequentialist (teleological) theory according to which the moral value of an action is judged by its consequences. Actions have instrumental values ​​because they provide the means to acquire more happiness than an action of intrinsic value. This is seen through how Bentham suggested that "the principle of utility judges every action to be just by the tendency it appears to have to increase or decrease the happiness of the party whose interests are in question", showing furthermore how, in utilitarianism, each action must be performed. with the result being the greatest possible happiness and the least possible pain in order to be considered good. Act utilitarianism focuses on the amount of pleasure produced by an action. Additionally, an important characteristic of utilitarianism is that it is a hedonistic (pleasure-seeking) theory. Bentham defined good as happiness/pleasure, so the right action is the maximization of pleasure and the minimization of pain. Utilitarianism focuses on the idea that as human beings we desire pleasure and the avoidance of pain, as his quote suggests: "Nature has placed humanity under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is up to them alone to tell us what we must do.” In order to quantify the amount of pain and pleasure that an action produces in order to determine whether it is good or not by devising the hedonic calculus. It is a decision-making process made up of 7 key principles including the extent, that is to say the number of people affected by an action. Another is duration, that is, how long the pleasure lasts. JS Mill (1806-1873) developed Bentham's theory which became known as rule utilitarianism. An important feature of utilitarianism is that Mill considered the well-being of individuals to be of greatest importance and that happiness is most effectively achieved when people are free to pursue their own goals, subject to rules that protect the good common to all. Mill suggested that society should follow a set of basic rules based on utilitarian principles. By following a standard set of rules, individuals can judge whether specific acts are acceptable. The idea of ​​higher and lower pleasure followed Mill's Rule utilitarianism. Mill believed that.