
(If there is no one best action because several actions are tied for best consequences, then of course any of those several actions would be right.) Plain Consequentialism: Of all the things a person might do at any given moment, the morally right action is the one with the best overall consequences. Perhaps the most standard precise version of consequentialism is Plain Consequentialism. Almost all lack standard names, so the names used here are mostly invented here. There is disagreement about how consequentialism can best be formulated as a precise theory, and so there are various versions of consequentialism. It is Wrong to Choose the Worse Over the Betterġ.Two Simple Arguments for Consequentialism.Expectable Consequentialism and Reasonable Consequentialism.It also sketches several of the most popular reasons to believe consequentialism, along with objections to those reasons, and several of the most popular reasons to disbelieve it, along with objections to those reasons. This article describes different versions of consequentialism. Various nonconsequentialist views are that morality is all about doing one’s duty, respecting rights, obeying nature, obeying God, obeying one’s own heart, actualizing one’s own potential, being reasonable, respecting all people, or not interfering with others-no matter the consequences. By contrast, the deontological theories of John Locke and Immanuel Kant are nonconsequentialist.Ĭonsequentialism is controversial. The utilitarianism of John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham is a well known example of consequentialism. So, they agree that consequentialism is true. Although those three views disagree about which kinds of consequences matter, they agree that consequences are all that matters. For example, if you think that the whole point of morality is (a) to spread happiness and relieve suffering, or (b) to create as much freedom as possible in the world, or (c) to promote the survival of our species, then you accept consequentialism. Here the phrase “overall consequences” of an action means everything the action brings about, including the action itself. Consequentialism is the view that morality is all about producing the right kinds of overall consequences.
