Philosophical Dictionary

Utilitarianism is all about maximizing happiness for the greatest number, a philosophy founded by Jeremy Bentham and refined by John Stuart Mill. Bentham treated all pleasures equally, which led to the joke: “If a pig’s happier than you, it’s better to be the pig!” Mill, worried we’d all become pleasure-chasing pigs, argued that higher pleasures (like thinking) are superior to lower ones (like eating).

Though noble, utilitarianism gets tricky—predicting outcomes and balancing happiness can turn life into mental gymnastics. After all, we can’t analyze every choice, not even pizza toppings!

What does "eudaimonia" mean and how does Epicurus' teaching on the good life differ from that of other philosophers?