antiutilitarianism
|an-ti-u-til-i-tar-i-an-ism|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tiˌjuː.tɪlɪˈtɛr.iəˌnɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tɪˌjuːtɪlɪˈtɪərɪənɪz(ə)m/
against maximizing overall utility
Etymology
'antiutilitarianism' is formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') plus 'utilitarianism' (the doctrine based on 'utility').
'utilitarianism' derives from 'utility' (from Latin 'utilitas' meaning 'usefulness' and 'utilis' meaning 'useful'), with the suffix '-ism' forming a doctrine name; 'anti-' was prefixed in English to mark opposition, producing 'antiutilitarianism' as a term used especially from the 19th century onward in debates opposing Benthamite and Millian utilitarian doctrines.
Initially used to denote simple opposition to the specific proposals of classical utilitarians; over time it has come to cover a broader set of critiques of any view that reduces moral value solely to aggregated utility.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a philosophical or moral position that opposes utilitarianism — the view that the rightness of actions is determined solely by their consequences for overall utility (happiness, welfare).
Antiutilitarianism challenges the idea that moral decisions should be made only by calculating aggregate happiness.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/12 02:44