Utilitarianism is a way of deciding what is right and wrong. The rule is simple to say: the best action is the one that brings the most happiness, or the least pain, to the most people. You add up the good and the bad for everyone, and the answer that helps the biggest number wins.

Utilitarianism功利主義（效益主義）is a way of deciding what is right and wrong是一種判斷對錯的方法。The rule規則is simple to say說起來很簡單：the best action最好的行為is the one that brings the most happiness, or the least pain, to the most people就是能為最多人帶來最多幸福、或最少痛苦的那個行為。You add up the good and the bad for everyone你把每個人的好處和壞處都加起來，and the answer that helps the biggest number wins能幫到最多人的那個答案就贏。

Notice what this leaves out — it does not ask if the action feels noble, or if it follows a rule, or if it is what God or tradition says. Only the result counts.

Notice what this leaves out請注意這個方法漏掉了什麼——it does not ask if the action feels noble它不問這個行為感覺是否高尚，or if it follows a rule或是否遵守某條規則，or if it is what God or tradition says也不問這是不是神或傳統所說的。Only the result counts只有結果算數。

In serious use, this is the name of a real school of thought in philosophy, started in England about two hundred years ago by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, and it is still argued about today in ethics classes, in law, in medicine (who gets the one machine that can save a life?), and in government policy. Outside philosophy class, people use the word more loosely, and often as a small complaint: if you say a decision was 'pure utilitarianism', you often mean it was cold — that the numbers were counted and the single person who got hurt was not.

In serious use認真討論時，this這是the name of a real school of thought in philosophy哲學裡一個真實學派的名稱，started in England about two hundred years ago大約兩百年前始於英國by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill由邊沁和彌爾創立，and it is still argued about today而至今仍在被爭論in ethics classes, in law, in medicine在倫理學課堂、法律、醫學（who gets the one machine that can save a life誰能用到那台唯一能救命的機器？）, and in government policy以及政府政策裡。Outside philosophy class在哲學課堂之外，people use the word more loosely人們用這個字比較鬆散，and often as a small complaint常常帶點小抱怨的意味：if you say a decision was 'pure utilitarianism'如果你說一個決定是「純粹的功利主義」，you often mean it was cold你通常是在說這很冷酷——that the numbers were counted and the single person who got hurt was not數字被算進去了，但那個受傷的個人卻沒被放在心上。

That is the famous problem with it. If hurting one person makes a hundred people happier, the maths says do it, and most of us feel something is wrong there. So the word carries both the idea and the doubt about the idea.

That is the famous problem with it這就是這個理論著名的問題。If hurting one person makes a hundred people happier如果傷害一個人能讓一百個人更快樂，the maths says do it算法會說該這麼做，and most of us feel something is wrong there而我們大多數人都會覺得這樣不對勁。So所以the word carries both the idea and the doubt about the idea這個字同時帶著這個理念，也帶著對這個理念的懷疑。

It is a formal, written word. You meet it in books, essays and news articles, not in conversation with friends.

It is它是a formal, written word一個正式的書面用字。You meet it你會在in books, essays and news articles書、文章和新聞報導裡遇到它，not in conversation with friends而不是跟朋友聊天時會用的字。

Careful: 'utilitarianism' is the belief system; a 'utilitarian' is a person who holds it (or, as an adjective, something plain and useful with no beauty — a utilitarian grey building). Those two uses of 'utilitarian' are related but they are not the same, and the -ism word only means the belief.

Careful請小心：'utilitarianism'utilitarianism is the belief system是這整套信念體系；a 'utilitarian'a utilitarian is a person who holds it是抱持這種信念的人（or或, as an adjective當形容詞用時, something plain and useful with no beauty指樸素實用、不講究美感的東西——a utilitarian grey building一棟功能取向的灰色建築）。Those two uses of 'utilitarian'utilitarian的這兩種用法are related but they are not the same有關聯，但不是同一回事，and the -ism word only means the belief而-ism這個字只指這套信念本身。