Utilitarianism is the most common expression of a still broader moral theory, consequentialism .
A consequentialist theory determines the moral status of an action exclusively in terms of the value or disvalue of the action's consequences. Different consequentialist theories characterize value in different ways, with the most popular form, utilitarianism, identifying it with pleasure, happiness, or preference. On any consequentialist theory, the use of violence brings about immediate disvalue in the harm and suffering it directly causes. For an on the whole positive response from Western writers, see 1. P.T. Bauer is without question the most effective proponent of the views summarized in this paragraph.