State consequentialism, also known as mohist consequentialism, 4 is an ethical theory which evaluates the moral worth of an action based on how much it contributes to the welfare of a state. The paragraphs below explain the differences between these three theories with examples. Consequentialism the blackwell guide to ethical theory. A moral theory that simply reports the principles behind common moral reasoning but cannot explain. This theory can be seen as one of the leading moral perspectives in western society, and it has dominated media ethics during the last century. Louis introduces us to the ethical theory of consequentialism. For instance, most people would agree that lying is wrong.
In contemporary moral philosophy, deontology is one of those kinds of normative theories regarding which choices are morally required, forbidden, or permitted. Kantian consequentialism argues that kants basic rationalist, internalist approach to the justification of normative principles, his conception of morality as a system of categ. It is a very simple, and very appealing, theory about our moral obligations. It means any ethical theory which judges the rightness or wrongness of an action on whether or not the. Consequentialist theory a discussion of ethical dilemmas and sustainability initiatives. It is com monly associated with the phrase the greatest good for the greatest number, and it typically requires people to act in. Utilitarianism goes a step further and specifies that the consequences we. Rule consequentialism is a theory that is sometimes seen as an attempt to reconcile deontology and consequentialismand in some cases, this is stated as a criticism of rule consequentialism. Virtue ethics, kantian ethics and consequentialism.
Consequentialism is a broad school of ethical theory. Consequentialist theory is one of the normative ethics theories that try to answer the ethical questions about right or wrong and how we arrive at this answer. Utilitarianism is a specific version of consequentialism, and the most common one. Consequentialism and constraints consequentialist theories have two elements. For example, welfare consequentialism, or welfarism, maintains that all that matters or is good is welfare, or wellbeing. Value based theories an act is morally right if it promotes the good or what has value.
Explore the consequentialist theories of ethical egoism and utilitarianism and test your understanding with a brief quiz. Consequentialist moral theories that focus on actual or objectively probable consequences are often described as objective consequentialism railton 1984. Virtue ethics, kantian ethics and consequentialism introduction. Or a theory can evaluate the motives by which someone actsthis is called motive consequentialism. Consequentialism is the class of normative ethical theories holding that the consequences of ones conduct are the ultimate basis for any judgment about the rightness or wrongness of that conduct. The importance of ethics in the teaching profession. The project is to figure out what is intrinsically good, e.
But if telling a lie would help save a persons life, consequentialism says its the right thing to do. Consequentialist ethical theories a purely consequentialist ethical theory is a general normative theory that bases the moral evaluation of acts, rules, institutions, etc. Consequentialism says that right or wrong depend on the consequences of an act, and that the more good consequences are produced, the better the act. A consequentialist normative theory is any theory which asserts that the fundamental normative principle directs us to bring about good ends. Unlike all forms of utilitarian theories, kants ethical theory is supposed to justify basic human rights, respect for which constrains. Consequentialism has the merit of calling attention to all stakeholders because it requires the decision maker to predict the likely results of an act and. Consequentialist, deontological and aretaic moral theories each fasten on one of the facets of. In contrast, consequentialist moral theories that focus on intended or foreseen consequences are usually described as subjective consequentialism. A final section traces a recent history of the use of nonconsequentialist utilitarianism, explaining how the present notion of nonconsequentialist utilitarianism differs.
The key motivation for this revised utilitarian theory is its unique ability to treat properly multistage ethical decisions, represented as ethical decision trees, while at the same time recognizing that there is some concept of individual welfare which ought to determine ethical decisions. There are many different forms of consequentialism depending on how one values outcomes. Consequentialism is an ethical theory that judges whether or not something is right by what its consequences are. The main objective of the project is to analyze the legal and ethical issues in information technology, while gaining an appreciation for ethical theory. Its explanatory power is a reason to prefer this new version of. Consequentialism names a type of ethical theory that judges human practices, like actions or rules, based on their consequences. Utilitarianism and consequentialism the gm bailout. Consequentialism final journal of ethics and social. Kantianism has more universally accepted appeal than consequentialism. Kant on utilitarianism it is often claimed that kant rejected utilitarianism. Thus, a morally right action is one that produces a good outcome or result, and the consequences of an action or rule generally outweigh all other considerations i. Consequentialism is a normative ethical theory, which means, it is a theory about ethical action and a proposed method for deciding how one should choose the right ethical act.
It would, of course, be foolish to deny that kants ethical writings have a distinctly nonutilitarian flavor. Pdf consequentialist theory is one of the normative ethics theories that try to answer the ethical questions about right or wrong and how we. Consequentialism stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. The word deontology derives from the greek words for duty deon and science or study of logos. Consequentialism and deontology are two such theories that are classified under ethics of conduct, i. Utilitarianism an action is the right thing to do in certain circumstances if, of all the actions available in those circumstances, it would produce the best.
Besides, anyone who wants to pick out a smaller set of moral theories that excludes this absurd theory may talk about evaluative. Or a theory can evaluate the character traits one demonstrates when one actsthis is called virtue consequentialism. We can admit that the increase in the happiness to others is a good reason to execute joseph. Concept of consequentialism as ethical theory is based upon nature of consequences be it utility, welfare, or pleasure. The basis for this claim, however, is not entirely clear. Consequentialism, in ethics, the doctrine that actions should be judged right or wrong on the basis of their consequences. Feb 15, 2016 consequentialism is an attractive ethical approach because it provides clear and practical guidance at least in situations where outcomes are easy to predict. Consequentialism, egoism, and the moral law received 2 august, 1988 i.
The three competing approaches to ethical analysis are consequentialism, deontology, and virtue eth in consequentialist ethics, the moral content of an action is determined by the real and. Sep 25, 2008 consequentialism says that right or wrong depend on the consequences of an act, and that the more good consequences are produced, the better the act. The aim of ethical theories is, among other things, to present and defend systematic answers to the two following questions. It is thus no surprise when we find that moral theories too, when we look into what they require, turn out to be demanding. In deontological ethics an action is considered morally good because of some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of. By asking us to maximise benefit for the largest number of people or, for peter singer and other preference utilitarians, any creature who has.
Two examples of consequentialism are utilitarianism and hedonism. People use ethical theories every day to make decisions about right and wrong, usually without knowing the name of the ethical theory theyre using. All of these attempts to combine deontology and consequentialism provide moral realists with a perfect opportunity to argue, quite explicitly, that liberal theory is both a theory of the right deontology and of the good teleology or consequentialism. Philosophers and theologians have developed a number of different ethical theories over the centuries, including consequentialism, deontology, divine command ethics and virtue ethics. Utilitarianism, kantian ethics, natural rights theories. Virtue ethics, on the other hand, is considered more of a normative ethical theory. However, there is at least one moral theoryconsequentialismthat is said to be. Robert nash 2002 explains how three moral languages rules and principles, charer, and basic beliefs act can be brought to bear on ethical. Human practices that produce good consequences are morally right, while ones that produce bad consequences are morally wrong. In contemporary moral philosophy, deontology is used most commonly to refer to moral conceptions which endorse several theses.
The simplest form of consequentialism is classical or hedonistic utilitarianism, which asserts that an action is right or wrong according to whether it maximizes the net balance of pleasure over pain in the universe. Difference between consequentialism and utilitarianism. Consequentialist theory determines whether to do or not do something based on the expected result of the action. In this wireless philosophy video, julia driver washington university in st. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory according to which the rightness and wrongness of acts depends entirely on facts about the maximization of overall wellbeing. Kantians and consequentialists alike have presumed that kantian ethics is incompatible with all forms of consequentialism, and that it instead justifies a system of agent. Utilitarianism is perhaps historically the most important form of consequentialism. Deontological ethics, in philosophy, ethical theories that place special emphasis on the relationship between duty and the morality of human actions. Consequentialism or teleological ethics is an approach to ethics that argues that the morality of an action is contingent on the actions outcome or consequence. Pdf three general theories of ethics and the integrative. Or a theory can evaluate the rules by which someone actsthis is called rule consequentialism. Differences between consequentialism and kantianism. Rule utilitarianism the ethical merit of an act is judged in terms of what the consequences of the action would be if such conduct became the general rule and everyone acted accordingly. Consequentialism is a theory in ethics that judges people, things and issues on the basis of their outcomes or consequences.
Thus, this theory teaches us that we can attain happiness if we can compare the outcome of an action with the beliefs and taboos of the society. Consequentialism brings together for the first time both the main classical sources and the central contemporary expressions of this important position. The choice between consequentialist and kantian ethics is a dif. Consequentialism is an attractive ethical approach because it provides clear and practical guidance at least in situations where outcomes are easy to predict. It does not deny that consequences can be a factor in determining the rightness of an act. A final section traces a recent history of the use of nonconsequentialist utilitarianism, explaining how the present notion of nonconsequentialist utilitarianism differs from will kymlickas and daniel jacobsons notions. Feiser consequentialism says that the consequences of an action are all that matter when taking an ethical decision to act. Consequentialism says the ethical status of an action is determined by its consequences. The term consequentialism was coined by the philosopher g e m anscombe in her 1958 paper, modern moral philosophy philosophy 33, no. Deontological ethics stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. The consequentialistnonconsequentialist ethical distinction.
Consequentialism and the law in medicine philosophical. Pdf consequentialist theory a discussion of ethical. The granddaddy of all procon lists january 23, 2020 june 1, 20 unlike virtue ethicists and deontologists, consequentialists believe the ethics of a person or action should be judged by the consequences they produce. The procedure for choosing between competing positive theories is straightforward. Consequentialism when you were a child, your parents tried to teach you. The term deontology is derived from the greek deon, duty, and logos, science. Ethical theories two types of ethical theories i teleological theories value based theories an act is morally right if it promotes the good or what has value. Consequentialism ethics unwrapped the university of texas at. One of the principal ethical philosophies is consequentialism, a class of normative ethical theories.
Aug 16, 2012 consequentialism is a theory in ethics that judges people, things and issues on the basis of their outcomes or consequences. Consequentialisms whole focus is on consequences of action. Kantianism is based upon moral imperatives which are absolute. But we can say that the fact that it would violate his right to life is an even better reason not to do it. According to the axiological element, agents options can always be ranked. Nonconsequentialism is a type of normative ethical theory that denies that the rightness or wrongness of our conduct is determined solely by the goodness or badness of the consequences of our acts or of the rules to which those acts conform. What is the relationship between utilitarianism and. In other words, deontology falls within the domain of moral theories that guide. A positive theory generates empirically testable hypotheses. The right act is the act which maximises wellbeing. Consequentialist decision theory and utilitarian ethics.
1224 13 772 182 837 1359 1516 38 703 954 855 712 1521 1287 103 1344 1039 1020 917 474 706 744 1211 966 1241 863 62 667 1219 703 1530 25 1287 560 1416 1232 549 175 412 950 1040 513 155