Utilitarianism is associated with which philosophers?

• A. Bentham and Mill
• B. Plato and Aristotle
• C. Kant and Hume
• D. Descartes and Spinoza

Answer: (B)

Utilitarianism evaluates actions by their consequences, aiming for the greatest overall happiness. The philosophers most closely associated with this view are Jeremy Bentham, who laid out the principle of utility as the guide for action and even tried to quantify pleasure and pain, and John Stuart Mill, who refined the theory by distinguishing higher and lower pleasures and arguing that the quality of happiness matters. Plato and Aristotle are linked with virtue ethics and the idea of flourishing through character rather than outcomes. Kant and Hume represent deontological and empiricist approaches that emphasize duties or knowledge, not the maximization of happiness. Descartes and Spinoza are known for rationalist perspectives in metaphysics and mind-body philosophy, not utilitarian ethics.