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Utilitarianism - Coggle Diagram
Utilitarianism
Core Principles
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Often used in public health, policy-making, and nursing decisions where limited resources must be distributed fairly.
Application in Nursing
Ethical decision-making during triage or crisis care (e.g., pandemic resource allocation).
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Promoting the overall well-being of patients, families, and the community.
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Definition
A consequentialist ethical theory that judges actions based on their outcomes or consequences. The morally right action is the one that produces the most overall happiness or minimizes suffering for the majority.
Main Philosophers
- Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832): Introduced the principle of utility—actions are right if they promote happiness, wrong if they produce the opposite.
- John Stuart Mill (1806–1873): Expanded Bentham’s ideas by emphasizing the quality of happiness, not just quantity.
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