Pretty much as the title says. I have been reading about Utilitariaism lately and the theory is fascinating but I have a fairly good knowledge of British Political history yet can't immedietly think of any actual examples. Perhaps there simply aren't any? Or maybe my understanding of the practical implications is wrong and policies like I'm imagining simply wouldn't exist?
All help appreciated, Thank you
Utilitarianism, as I'm sure you are aware, is basically the assertion that something's goodness is defined in terms of its utility, typically (but not always) understood in terms of human happiness. Working with just this rough conception in mind, we could plausibly label any old policy with the general aim of improving the lives of the citizens of Britain as utilitarian. After all, the goal of such policies is to maximize happiness and minimize suffering, so it looks like they should pass muster from a broadly utilitarian standpoint.
Since examples like this would seem to abound, I suppose I'm a bit unclear on exactly what the problem is. Do you have some more specific conception of utilitarianism in mind? Or are you looking for examples of policy makers explicitly engaging with prominent proponents of Utilitarianism (Bentham, Mill, etc)?
You might find this answer about Bentham's Panopticon, from /u/copperbrook, to be of interest.