Editing Utilitarianism (section)

=== Pre-modern formulations ===
{{see also|Hedonism|State consequentialism}}
The importance of [[happiness]] as an end for humans has long been argued. Forms of [[hedonism]] were put forward by the ancient Greek philosophers [[Aristippus]] and [[Epicurus]]. [[Aristotle]] argued that ''[[eudaimonia]]'' is the highest human good. [[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine]] wrote that "all men agree in desiring the last end, which is happiness". The idea that conduct should to be judged by its consequences also existed within the ancient world. Consequentialist theories were first developed by the ancient Chinese philosopher Mozi, who proposed a system that sought to maximize benefit and eliminate harm.<ref name="Fraser2016">{{cite book|last1=Fraser|first1=Chris|title=The Philosophy of the Mòzĭ: The First Consequentialists|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J76lDAAAQBAJ|year=2016|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-23-152059-1|page=138}}</ref>  [[Mohism|Mohist]] consequentialism advocated [[Communitarianism|communitarian]] moral goods, including [[political stability]], [[population growth]], and [[wealth]], but did not support the utilitarian notion of maximizing individual happiness.<ref name="Fraser">{{cite book|last1=Fraser|first1=Chris|title=The Oxford Handbook of World Philosophy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F06FKmKKIXwC&pg=PA62|year=2011|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-532899-8|page=62}}</ref> 
 
Utilitarian ideas can also be found in the work of medieval philosophers. In medieval India, the 8th-century philosopher [[Santideva|Śāntideva]] wrote that we ought "to stop all the present and future pain and suffering of all sentient beings, and to bring about all present and future pleasure and happiness."<ref>Goodman, Charles. 2016. [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/shantideva/ "Śāntideva"], Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved 31 August 2020.</ref> In medieval Europe, happiness was explored in depth by [[Thomas Aquinas]] in his ''[[Summa Theologica]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/summa/2001.htm|title=SUMMA THEOLOGICA: Man's last end (Prima Secundae Partis, Q. 1)|work=newadvent.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/summa/2002.htm|title=SUMMA THEOLOGICA: Things in which man's happiness consists (Prima Secundae Partis, Q. 2)|work=newadvent.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/summa/2003.htm|title=SUMMA THtheEOLOGICA: What is happiness (Prima Secundae Partis, Q. 3)|work=newadvent.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/summa/2004.htm|title=SUMMA THEOLOGICA: Things that are required for happiness (Prima Secundae Partis, Q. 4)|work=newadvent.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/summa/2005.htm|title=SUMMA THEOLOGICA: The attainment of happiness (Prima Secundae Partis, Q. 5)|work=newadvent.org}}</ref> During the Renaissance, consequentialist ideas are present in the work of political philosophy of [[Niccolò Machiavelli]].