Rule utilitarianism evaluates actions based on general rules while act utilitarianism evaluates individual actions.

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SUPPORTED

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3 sources for · 0 against

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Is it true that rule utilitarianism evaluates actions based on general rules while act utilitarianism evaluates individual actions?

Yes. Rule utilitarianism evaluates the rightness of actions based on general rules that lead to the greatest good, whereas act utilitarianism evaluates individual actions based on their specific consequences.

Verdict: SUPPORTED · 3 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 4 Aug 2026

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Evidence for · 3

Wikipedia: Rule utilitarianism

Reference article covering this claim directly

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Wikipedia: Rule utilitarianism. (n.d.). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_utilitarianism

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Wikipedia: Act utilitarianism

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Wikipedia: Act utilitarianism. (n.d.). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_utilitarianism

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: The History of Utilitarianism

It mentions whether actions were evaluated in terms of rules or individually.

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Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: The History of Utilitarianism. (n.d.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/utilitarianism-history/

Related receipts

Is it true that Richard Brandt coined the terms act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism? SUPPORTED related question, same topic

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first checked04 Aug 2026

judged → SUPPORTED · 7504 Aug 2026

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