Utilitarianism is one of the most widely debated moral theories. Although its principles, to some, are considered harsh, many actions and decisions we make on a daily basis contain some degree of utilitarian principles. Whether it is telling a white lie to spare another's feelings or punish criminals to deter crimes, we are practicing utilitarian principles. That is, we judge the morality of an action by the consequences it has on the people involved. A consequentialist theory, sought to maximize the good, utilitarianism provokes both plausible and implausible arguments.
             Jeremy Bentham is considered to have fathered the theory, as he was the first philosopher to outline the theory. John Stuart Mill would later detail the theory. Their philosophies have prominently influenced social reform and remain deeply influential today. Its main principle is the principle of utility or as Mill called it, the greatest happiness principle. Bentham asserted in his principle of utility that an action is right if it produces more happiness then unhappiness for all people considered. In act-utilitarianism, the rightness of actions are judged directly by the consequences they produce. They ask, "How much net happiness comes from directly engaging in an action?" Slightly distinct is the rule-utilitarian. They ask, "What if everyone followed this rule?" In order to conclude which actions are right they determine what rule applies to the actions; subsequently, they determine if the rule would maximize utility if everyone followed it.
             The utilitarian view, "the greatest happiness for the greatest number" asserts that happiness is thus, quantified. Bentham and Mill see happiness synonymous to pleasure. Actions seek to gain the outcome which will result in the most pleasure over pain. However, Bentham and Mill propose different views on how happiness should be measured, Bentham believed happiness can only be measured...