greatest good for the greatest number

Cultural  

1. A goal put forth for governments: that they should be judged by the results of their policies, and specifically, whether those policies benefit the majority. (Compare greatest happiness for the greatest number.)

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Example Sentences

The hard bargain of public education has always been that it seeks to do the greatest good for the greatest number of kids, meaning it rarely offers perfection for individual children.

From Los Angeles Times

His public dedication to “effective altruism,” a movement that calls for massive charitable giving in order to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people, implied that he was bound by apolitical standards that would supersede any partisan agenda.

From New York Times

Testifying in federal court in Manhattan, she recalled that Bankman-Fried said he wanted to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people and that rules like “don’t lie” or “don’t steal” must sometimes be set aside.

From Seattle Times

The FTX founder described himself as a "utilitarian" who thought the only rule that mattered was doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people, Ellison said.

From Reuters

Ellison, the former co-chief executive of Bankman-Fried's crypto hedge fund Alameda Research, said that he described himself as a "utilitarian" who thought the only moral rule that mattered was doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

From Reuters