Act utilitarianism evaluates each action based on its utility or usefulness, while rule utilitarianism evaluates each action based on the usefulness of the rule that governs it.
Rule utilitarianism, on the other hand, claims that knowledge of human nature enables us to derive a set of moral rules- “rules” as in principles or commandments – which we can follow consistently with good results. It holds that there are no universal moral rules, and instead, each person should do what they think will produce the best overall consequences. Act utilitarianism is an ethical theory that judges the morality of any action by considering the consequences it leads to for everyone involved.
