Consequentialism

“The ends justify the means.”

 Guide Questions
•  What is consequentialism?
•  What are the varieties of consequentialism?
•  What is utilitarianism?

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 3 Ethical Theories
Theory Consideration

Consequentialism Consequences

Deontology Rules

Virtue Ethics Actor

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 3 Ethical Theories cont.
•  All actions are evaluated based on different
ethical considerations at different points
contexts, times, and situations
•  Tasked with the responsibility of choosing one
consideration independent of others

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 Consequentialism
•  “Theory according to which rightness or
wrongness of action is determined solely by
the intrinsic goodness or badness of its
various consequences.” (Evangelista and
Mabaquiao, 2020)
•  Look at the consequences of an action
–  Good rules = good consequences
–  Bad rules = bad consequences

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Intrinsic and Instrumental Good
Intrinsic Good Instrumental Good

Inherent Good Derived Good

Unconditional Good Conditional Good

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 Intrinsic and Instrumental Good cont.
•  Intrinsic duty to maximize the inherent good
•  Goal: Not just to achieve but to maximize
happiness
•  Potential translation:
–  Good consequences > bad consequences
–  Greater good consequences > lesser good
consequences
–  More bad consequences < less bad consequences
–  Actions with greater net consequences > actions with
lesser net consequences

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 Varieties of Consequentialism
•  Example of intrinsic good: happiness
•  2 Central Questions:
–  “Is pleasure (or happiness) the only intrinsic
good?”
–  “Is the agent’s intrinsic good the only good that
matters?”

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 Varieties of Consequentialism
•  Assumption: Happiness is an intrinsic good
•  Central Questions:
1.  “Is pleasure (or happiness) the only intrinsic
good?” (Evangelista and Mabaquiao, 2020)
•  Implication: everything else is an instrumental good
2.  “Is the agent’s intrinsic moral good the only one that
matters?” (Ibid) or “Is the agent’s intrinsic good the
only one that is relevant to judging the morality of
his or her actions?” (Ibid)
•  Implication: other people’s moral considerations are not
relevant to the moral evaluation of a person’s actions

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 Hedonism and Non-Hedonism
•  Definition of Hedonism: “pleasure is the only
intrinsic good, and its opposite, pain, the only
intrinsic evil.” (Evangelista and Mabaquiao,
2020)
•  Etymology: “hedon”, literally meaning
“pleasure”
•  Assumption: pleasure = happiness
•  Thesis: The primary standard of an action is
the pleasure or pain it brings the actor
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 Hedonism and Non-Hedonism cont.
•  Justification: we cannot escape the standard of
pleasure and pain in evaluating our actions
•  Bentham: the moment we end up inquiring as to
what is the correct action to take, we end up
saying that because it brings us pleasure or pain
•  G.E. Moore (in opposition to Bentham): “…it is
meaningful to ask whether pleasure is good
means that pleasure can be co-equated with
good.”
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 Hedonism and Non-Hedonism cont.
•  Non-hedonism definition: rejects hedonism
but maintains the general view of
consequentialism
•  2 Ways of Rejection:
–  Exclusive non-hedonism: rejects the idea that
pleasure is an intrinsic good / excludes pleasure
from the list of intrinsic goods
–  Inclusive non-hedonism: maintains pleasure as an
intrinsic good but rejects the idea that it is the
only intrinsic good (knowledge, power, beauty)
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 Agent Relativity and Agent Neutrality
•  Assessment of consequences can either be:
Egocentric Consequences directly
Agent-related Consequentialism concern or affect the
agent’s welfare

Impartial Consequences affect

Non-agent Consequentialism the welfare of others
related

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 Utilitarianism
•  Agent-neutral form of consequentialism
•  Most influential form of consequentialism
•  Consequentialism is often equated with
utilitarianism
•  Utilitarianism = Consequentialism,
Consequentialism =/= Utilitarianism
•  Agent neutral form because standard is the
highest amount of happiness altogether
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 Utilitarianism cont.
•  Operates on the “greatest happiness
principle”
•  Calculates maximum “aggregate welfare from
action” (Evangelista and Mabaquiao, 2020)
•  Everyone is given equal consideration
•  Net Benefit = Total pleasure – total pain
•  Two divisions:
–  Hedonistic and Non-Hedonistic Utilitarianism
–  Act and Rule Utilitarianism
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 Hedonistic and Non-Hedonistic
Utilitarianism
•  Hedonistic Utilitarianism is similar to
Hedonistic Consequentialism
•  Best representatives are:
–  J. Bentham: Quantitative Utilitarianism
•  No difference between physical and mental pleasures
–  J.S. Mill: Qualitative Utilitarianism
•  Difference between physical and mental pleasures is
that mental pleasures are superior to physical
pleasures

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 Hedonistic and Non-Hedonistic
Utilitarianism cont.
•  Similar to Non-hedonistic Consequentialism,
Non-hedonistic Utilitarianism denies the idea
that pleasure and pain are the only good and
bad respectively
•  2 Ways of Rejection:
–  Exclusive non-hedonistic utilitarianism
•  Best represented by Preference Utilitarianism
–  Inclusive non-hedonistic utilitarianism
•  Best represented by Pluralistic Utilitarianism

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 Hedonistic and Non-Hedonistic
Utilitarianism cont.
•  Preference Utilitarianism: “…what should be
maximized is not the experience of pleasure, but
the satisfaction of preference.” (Evangelista and
Mabaquiao, 2020)
•  Most prominent proponents: Richard Hare
(1919-2002) and Peter Singer (1946--)
•  Preference Utilitarianism contends that an action
is morally good if it satisfies the preferences of
the greatest number of people and morally bad if
otherwise
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 Hedonistic and Non-Hedonistic
Utilitarianism cont.
•  Pluralistic Utilitarianism: “there is a plurality of
intrinsic goods” (Evangelista and Mabaquiao,
2020)
•  Prominent proponents: Hastings Randall
(1858-1924) and G.E. Moore (1973-1958)
•  Other examples of intrinsic goods: beauty,
knowledge, power, and healthy social
relationships

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 Act and Rule Utilitarianism
•  Act utilitarianism – Utilitarian principle should be
applied on the act itself
•  Rule utilitarianism – Utilitarian principle should
be applied to the act itself
–  Good rule is called an optimific rule
–  Optimific rule is defined as “a rule which when
generally followed (or conformed to) produces the
maximum aggregate good” (Evangelista and
Mabaquiao, 2020)
–  Even if an act maximizes the aggregate good but does
follows a non-optimific rule, it is considered as
morally bad

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 References
•  Evangelista, Francis Julius N. and Mabaquio,
Napoleon Jr. Ethics: Theories and Applications.
Manila; Anvil Publishing Inc, 2020.

Prepared by Raphaella Elaine Miranda