Explain the approach of Utilitarianism to moral decision making

The origins of utilitarianism can be traced back to the Greek philosopher Epicurus but it is most associated with Bentham in the 18th century. Utilitarianism is a theory which was devised by Jeremy Bentham 1748-1832. Bentham lived in a time of great scientific and social change. Such change would have influenced his theory. Bentham worked on legal reform and it was in his work the Principles of Morals and Legislation that out forth his ethical theory of utilitarianism. Also associated with the background of Utilitarianism is Js Mill who was according to Bowie perhaps the greatest British philosopher of the 19th Century was also a greater supporter of the theory of Utilitarianism. His works in ethics were On liberty and Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is concerned with the consequences of an act. For the utilitarian what ever brings about the greatest amount of happiness, is morally correct. It is also concerned with proportionality. Something is good, if it brings about the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. Utilitarianism is theological in character. Meaning it is concerned with the consequences of the character rather than the act it self. For example stealing and lying is right if it leads to a better situation afterwards. For a teleological ethical thinker the end justifies the means. We can divide Benthams theory into three parts. The first, his view on what drove human beings, and what goodness and badness was all about, motivation. The second, the principle of utility, this is his moral rule. And finally the hedonic calculus which is his system for measuring how good or bad a consequence is. Bentham believed that as human beings we are motivated by pleasure and pain. He said that we are governed by two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. We strive for pleasure and seek to avoid pain. And it is these two things that motivate our actions. The utility principle was the theory Bentham developed to determine the rightness and wrongness of an action. Utility refers to the usefulness which refers to the greatest amount of pleasure or happiness. The good is when pleasure is maximised and pain minimised. Because the theory strives for the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people then it can be described as demonic. An example is husbands who leave to fight for war cause immediate pain for families and friends but are serving for greater good of the nation. Bentham has suggested a system by which the consequences of actions are assessed. The utilitarian needs to consider the consequences before deciding how to act. The hedonic calculus weighs up pain and pleasure caused by action to find the best option. There are seven factors to the calculus, intensity, duration, certainly, propinquity, fecundity, purity and extent.