Which description best matches utilitarians in decision making?

Which description best matches utilitarians in decision making?

• A. A set of actions a organisation isn't obliged to take but takes them anyway for the wellbeing of stakeholders and the public
• B. The reason why a person acted as they did
• C. Seek to maximise the overall benefit to society when making a decision
• D. Does the outcome justify the means

Answer: (C)

Utilitarian decision making focuses on outcomes and overall welfare. It asks which action will produce the greatest good for the greatest number, aiming to maximise the total benefit to society from a decision. In practice this means weighing the costs and benefits to all stakeholders and choosing the option that yields the highest net utility. The statement about maximising overall societal benefit directly captures this outcome-focused objective. Other descriptions mix in motives, optional actions beyond obligations, or ends-justify-means thinking, which aren’t the defining approach of utilitarian thinking.

Utilitarian decision making focuses on outcomes and overall welfare. It asks which action will produce the greatest good for the greatest number, aiming to maximise the total benefit to society from a decision. In practice this means weighing the costs and benefits to all stakeholders and choosing the option that yields the highest net utility. The statement about maximising overall societal benefit directly captures this outcome-focused objective. Other descriptions mix in motives, optional actions beyond obligations, or ends-justify-means thinking, which aren’t the defining approach of utilitarian thinking.