According to act utilitarianism, if it produces more net utility (or "happiness")to give money to famine relief, even though I had promised to payback a friend with that money, then I ought to give the money to the relief fund.

Question

According to act utilitarianism, if it produces more net utility (or "happiness")to give money to famine relief, even though  I had promised to payback a friend  with that money, then I ought to give the money to the relief fund.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Act utilitarianism posits that the rightness of an action depends solely on the net utility (or happiness) it produces. Therefore, if giving money to famine relief generates more overall happiness than repaying a friend, act utilitarianism would consider it the correct action, even if it involves breaking a promise.

According to Act Utilitarianism, If It Produces More Net Utility