Question

Utility argues that consequences are the only thing that matters. explaining why they matter,

it is a philosophy question

Answer 1

“The act utilitarian states a person is morally right if the act produces at least as much goodwill and positivity as any other act a person can perform at that time.”

“The rule utilitarian states the action is right as it conforms to the rule which delivers the greatest good.”

"The basic principle of Mills Utilitarianism is the greatest happiness principle. A utility is determined by the moral worth of an action". It is solely determined by its contribution to maximizing the overall happiness or pleasure as summed between all people.

The ethical philosophy states that the happiness of the greatest number of people in society is considered the greatest good. According to philosophy, an action is morally right if its consequences lead to happiness and wrong if it ends in unhappiness or pain. Some of the philosophers like Bentham measured the pain and pleasure by calculating the intensity, duration, certainty, remoteness, fecundity, purity and extent of the pleasure and the pain. Mills further discussed the extent of happiness which include higher intellectual pleasures and lowly bodily pleasures.

To sum up, Mills utilitarian theory identifies general happiness as the sole criterion to define pleasure. We cannot calculate which rule produces higher pleasure and whether one pleasure is higher than the other. We can think of the principle of greatest happiness defined by the rule of conduct, not the individual actions