Ethics #5

utilitarianism

The metaethical theory that actions producing the most pleasure are good and those that promote pain are bad.

sentient beings

Beings with the capacity to experience pain and pleasure.

greatest happiness principle

The utilitarian principle that actions are right in proportion to how much they tend to promote happiness and wrong when they tend to produce unhappiness. This is also known as the principle of utility.

utilitarian calculus

A process of weighing costs and benefits to determine which action is morally preferable.

speciesism

A term coined by utilitarian Peter Singer to describe prejudice or bias against a particular being simply because of its membership in a particular species.

euthanasia

The act of painlessly bringing about the death of a person who is suffering from a terminal or incurable disease or condition.