Consequentialist ethics is a category of ethical theories that judge the rightness or wrongness of an action by its consequences. There are many types of consequentialist ethics, but some of the major ones are:
– Utilitarianism, which holds that an action is right if it maximizes happiness or well-being for the greatest number of people.
– Hedonism, which holds that an action is right if it maximizes pleasure or avoids pain for the agent or for everyone.
– Rule consequentialism, which holds that an action is right if it conforms to a rule that maximizes good consequences in general.
– State consequentialism, which holds that an action is right if it promotes the interests or welfare of the state or society.
– Ethical egoism, which holds that an action is right if it maximizes the agent’s own self-interest.
– Ethical altruism, which holds that an action is right if it maximizes the interests or welfare of others, especially those in need.
– Two-level consequentialism, which holds that an action is right if it follows an intuitive moral rule that usually leads to good consequences, but allows for exceptions when critical thinking shows that a different action would have better consequences.
– Motive consequentialism, which holds that an action is right if it is motivated by a desire to bring about good consequences
Consequentialist Ethics – how to justify the ends?
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Some of the major critiques of consequentialist ethics are:
– It ignores individual rights and other values that are not reducible to consequences, such as justice, fairness, or dignity. It may justify violating the rights or interests of some people for the sake of the greater good.
– It relies on calculation and prediction, which can be time-consuming, difficult, or impossible. It may require people to have complete and accurate information about the consequences of their actions, which is often unavailable or uncertain.
– It is not proportionate, depending on how one defines the good and the scope of moral obligation. It may require people to sacrifice their own interests or preferences for the common good, even in trivial matters, or it may allow people to pursue their own interests or preferences at the expense of others, as long as they produce some good consequences.