... right comes before the good. Such a case would be where a man refuses a job, which may bring about the most utility if he took it, because he feels the undertaking would be contrary to morality. According to Act Utilitarianism, the rightness or wrongness of an action is governed by its consequences. An act will be morally right if in a given situation its will actually effect the greatest good for the greatest number if performed. This approach is a consequentialist approach to Utilitarianism, whereby the consequences of an action are of paramount significance relative to moral questions. Ross refers to this branch of Utilitarianism as ideal Utilitarianism. Rule Utilitarianism, in contrast, uses a different modus operandi. For it, consequences of a specific act are extraneous. We need a set of rules for action. The best rule will be one wherein the best consequences on the whole will be generated. The intention ...

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