Utilitarianism and egalitarianism

What is it about?

This paper examines the relationship between the utilitarian ethical principles (the Greatest Happiness Principle) and equality, offering a historical account of the opinions of Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, Henry Sidgwick, Francis Y. Edgeworth, and Arthur C. Pigou. Bentham and Mill believed that the GHP implied the equal consideration of interests, while from Edgeworth on there was a contrary opinion arguing that those who have more capacity for pleasure must have more than others

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Why is it important?

If utilitarian ethics implies inequality, then it is not a fascinating theory. But the point is that it may imply inequality, and even racism, eugenism, etc. So careful assumptions must be made to avoid this outcome