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Desire utilitarianism is a normative ethical
theory, using concepts from BDI Theory. In the book A Better Place:
Essays on Desire Utilitarianism, Alonzo Fyfe describes desire
utilitarianism as "the idea that morality involves using praise and
condemnation to promote desires that tend to fulfill other desires,
and to inhibit desires that tend to thwart other
desires."<ref> </ref>
According to desire
utilitarianism, desires
and beliefs are both
propositional attitudes. Fyfe
defines desires and beliefs thusly: "A belief is the attitude that
a certain proposition (e.g. "God exists') is true. A desire is an
attitude that a certain proposition (e.g. "I am having sex with
Sam") is to be made or kept true." <ref name="what-du">
</ref> Beliefs can be either true or false.
Desires can be
thwarted or fulfilled. People act according to the more and
stronger of their desires. A good desire is a desire that tends to
fulfill other desires. A bad desire is a desire that tends to
thwart other desires.<ref name="what-du" />
Desire
utilitarianism is the idea that good desires should be promoted,
and bad desires should be discouraged.
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