Francis Hutcheson was an Irish philosopher widely regarded as one of the key figures of the early Scottish Enlightenment. He served as Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow and wa
Portrait by Allan Ramsay, c. 1745
Plaque to Francis Hutcheson on the Guildhall, Saintfield
Utilitarianism
Videos
Utilitarianism is a family of theories in normative ethics that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for the affected individuals. In other words, utilitarian ideas encourage actio
Francis Hutcheson (philosopher)
…judgments. Hutcheson is best known for his ethical writings, in which he defends benevolence as the primary source of moral virtue and anticipates later utilitarian theories with his formulation of "the greatest happiness for the greatest number". Beyond ethics, Hutcheson made significant contributions to aesthetics…
Portrait of Bentham by Henry William Pickersgill
Peter Singer