Utilitarianism focuses on maximizing happiness for the greatest number, which may involve sacrificing some individuals.

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Utilitarianism weighs the balance of happiness and unhappiness across everyone affected, and the right action is the one that maximizes overall welfare. Because it judges actions by their consequences, it can justify sacrificing some individuals if doing so increases total happiness for the greater number. For example, if harming one person leads to a much larger gain in happiness or less harm for five others, utilitarian reasoning would favor that choice. This reflects the idea that what matters is the net amount of well-being, even though such trade-offs raise difficult questions about fairness and rights.