Consequential and non consequential theory kants formalism theory the theories of immanuel kant, a german philosopher, have had an impact on the formulation and shaping of ethics today. Consequentialism stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. In this theory, its less moral to risk your own life than to get. The term deontological was first used to describe the current, specialised definition by c. Explore the consequentialist theories of ethical egoism and utilitarianism and test your understanding with a brief quiz. Consequentialism or the more descriptive term consequence ethics is a moral theory stating that the morality of your action depends only on its results or consequences. Deontological ethics is commonly contrasted to consequentialism, virtue ethics, and pragmatic ethics. Consequential damages definition, examples, cases, processes. If realistic liberal governance necessarily requires the consideration of both deontological and consequentialist ideals, how can theorists use consequentialism. Two examples of consequentialism are utilitarianism and hedonism.
Non consequential based kantianism and justice ethics. It is also contrasted with virtue ethics, which focuses on the. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. While some emphasized that sociological theory or social theory is a i w hati st he or y. Consequentialism definition of consequentialism by merriam. Broad in his 1930 book, five types of ethical theory. Teleology, utilitarianism, and christian ethics 603 states of affairs in which they result. A theory can evaluate individual actionsthis is called act consequentialism.
If that claim is dropped, the theory ceases to be consequentialist. A non consequentialist theory of value judges the rightness or wrongness of an action based on properties intrinsic to the action, not on its consequences. 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. The moral value of an action can be judged by looking at the consequences it has. A nonconsequentialist theory of value judges the rightness or wrongness of an action based on properties intrinsic to the action, not on its consequences. What are examples of consequentialism and deontology ethics. Consequentialism simple english wikipedia, the free. It implies that the action, which is right from the moral standpoint, produces a good result.
Imagine you run a factory in a very poor country and a child. Jun 02, 2017 consequential damages are also known as special damages, and are damages that are not a direct result of an incident itself, but are instead consequences of that incident. Consequentialist theories can be divided into types in three major ways. Introduction preface section i economics for pleasure and profit chapter 1 what is economics. In this viewpoint, a moral action is one that produces a positive outcome, and an immoral. What is the difference between deontological and consequentialist theories of medical ethics. An example of consequential damages would be a driver getting into a car accident because, instead of paying attention to the road, he was focused on another car.
Most prominent philosophers of utilitarianism were jeremy bentham 17481832 and john stuart mill 18061873. Consequentialist theory a discussion of ethical dilemmas and sustainability initiatives thesis pdf available february 2015 with 1,853 reads how we measure reads. The most famous version of this theory is utilitarianism. Consequentialism is an ethical theory that judges whether or not something is right by what its consequences are. Consequentialism is goaldirected because only the outcome of your action is important, not how you achieve it. The feedback you provide will help us show you more relevant content in the future. Consequentialist theory determines whether to do or not do something based on the expected result of the action. Actionable knowledge is that knowledge required to implement the external vali. Consequentialist 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. Libertarianismpeople should be free to do as they like as long as they respect the freedom of others to do the same. Morality, is an ambitious, painstaking effort to render the moral requirements of conse. According to non consequentialist theory, the right choice for any agent is to instantiate a certain pattern p. But, there are other approaches to morality as well.
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. Gabriel abend northwestern university theory is one of the most important words in the lexicon of contemporary sociology. Or a theory can evaluate the rules by which someone actsthis is called rule consequentialism. Douglas portmores recent book, commonsense consequentialism. Pdf what is the difference between deontological and. Value based theories an act is morally right if it promotes the good or what has value. Knowledge produced by empirical research can have external validity, which means it is relevant to the everyday world. Consequentialism definition of consequentialism by the free. 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. Nonconsequentialism and universalizability by philip pettit if nonconsequentialists are to embrace the requirement of universalizability, then they will have to adopt a surprisingly relativistic stance.
Consequentialism is usually contrasted with deontological ethics or deontology, in that deontology, in which rules and moral duty are central, derives the rightness or wrongness of ones conduct from the character of the behaviour itself rather than the outcomes of the conduct. What matters for nonconsequential based approach is the nature of intention, not the consequences. The first way is in what exactly it is about human practices that is being morally evaluated. Darwins theory of evolution remains, to this day, a lightning rod for controversy. We can illustrate the difference by considering an example such as child labour. The final chapter of moral theory is really a bridge to the sister volume. An action that brings about more benefit than harm is good, while an action that causes more harm than benefit is not. A final section traces a recent history of the use of non consequentialist utilitarianism, explaining how the present notion of non consequentialist utilitarianism differs from will kymlickas and daniel jacobsons notions. Apr 03, 2012 essay on consequentialism consequentialism is referred to as the moral theory that says that the consequences of the particular action are the basis for any judgment regarding the mentioned action. Consequentialism when you were a child, your parents tried to teach you. Consequentialism, in ethics, the doctrine that actions should be judged right or wrong on the basis of their consequences.
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. Article pdf available in irish medical journal 1062 suppl. Answer whether an act is right or wrong depends only on the results of that act answer the more good consequences an act produces, the better or more right that. Correct moral choices are made when one understands what their moral law, duty, or rule is and acts according to the corresponding prescribed behavior. Consequentialism definition is the theory that the value and especially the moral value of an act should be judged by the value of its consequences. Pdf consequentialist theory a discussion of ethical. Ee can only work if you advocate some other theory and dont tell anyone. Nonconsequential ethical theories flashcards quizlet. In this paper, i intend to show that this conclusion is compatible with kants discussion of the legislative form of the moral law, his theory of the good, and his account of moral motivation. For instance, most people would agree that lying is wrong. Consequentialist and non consequentialist ethics are both centered around the idea of judging actions. It is less clear whether that claim by itself is sufficient to make a theory consequentialist. Consequentialism is a theory in the field of ethics. Whether an act is morally right depends solely on consequences or the goodness of consequences.
Our decision to begin this lecture series on modern social theory with the question what is theory. One of the big theories that can be called consequential is called utilitarianism. There are three major categories of ethical systems that students typically learn about in philosophy classes. Orthodox economic theory is founded upon a specific ethicutilitarian consequentialism. In this terminology, action is more important than the consequences. While nonconsequential based approach views decision made whether if its right or wrong as an independent factor of the consequences.
Consequentialism is the belief that the only relevant aspects of a decision are its consequences wilber 1999. Yet, their ubiquity notwithstanding, it is quite unclear what sociologists mean by the words theory, theoretical, and theorize. In contrast to consequentialism, it does not consider the context or consequence of the action, but the way one chooses to think when he makes his choices such as to a higher law, duty, or rule. Consequential and non consequential theory free essays. It holds that an act is only moral or ethical if it results in a good conclusion. Apr 23, 2017 the purpose of this article is to explain different ethical theories and compare and contrast them in a way thats clear and easy for students to understand. But if telling a lie would help save a persons life, consequentialism says its the right thing to do. Feb 15, 2016 consequentialism is a theory that suggests an action is good or bad depending on its outcome. Although there are references to this idea in the works of ancient. Any consequentialist theory must accept the claim that i labeled consequentialism, namely, that certain normative properties depend only on consequences.