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Consequentialist Theories of Ethics

Consequentialist Theories of Ethics. Do Consequences make an action right?. Many ethicists have argued that we should decide moral right and wrong by looking at the consequences of our actions If the consequences are good, the act is right If the consequences are bad, the act is wrong

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Consequentialist Theories of Ethics

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  1. Consequentialist Theories of Ethics

  2. Do Consequences make an action right? • Many ethicists have argued that we should decide moral right and wrong by looking at the consequences of our actions • If the consequences are good, the act is right • If the consequences are bad, the act is wrong Consequentialist theory- measures the morality of an action by its non-moral consequences They consider the ratio of good to evil that an action produces

  3. Consequentialist Theory • Example of the Consequentialist theory at work: a car accident in a deserted area where there are no witnesses • In evaluating the non-moral consequences of an action, whom do consequentialists have in mind? • If you evaluate the consequences for yourself, your judgement will be different than if you evaluate the consequences for others • Should we consider the effects on the people involved?

  4. Egoism • Ethical egoism: in deciding the morality of an action, we should consider the consequences for only ourselves • We act morally when we act in a way that promotes our own best long term interests • What exactly do egoists mean by “self-interest”?

  5. Ethical Egoism Cartoon

  6. Hedonism • Hedonism- the ethical philosophy which holds that only pleasure is worth having for its own sake; pleasure has intrinsic value Ex. Epicurus • An egoist is not necessarily a hedonist

  7. Objections to Egoism • Conflicting interests • Inconsistency to moral counsel • Undermines the moral point of view (impartial attitude of one who tries to see all sides of an issue)

  8. Utilitarianism • Utilitarianism-asserts that the standard of morality is the promotion of everyone’s best interests • We act morally when our actions produce the greatest possible ratio of good to evil for all concerned • Only pleasure and happiness have intrinsic value • Jeremy Bentham John Stuart Mill

  9. Act Utilitarianism • Act Utilitarianism- claims that we should act so as to produce the greatest happiness for the most people through the most pleasure and least pain than any other course of action

  10. Rule Utilitarianism • Rule Utilitarianism- means that we should act so that the rules governing our actions produce the greatest happiness for the most people • Ex. Courts and judges should operate with the rule “We should never punish people for something they did not do” • Problem-how do you promote one rule over another?

  11. Implications of Utilitarianism • Richard Taylor and other act Utilitarians argue that all forms for sexual activity, including incest, homosexuality and adultery produce more pleasure than pain, they are morally permissible • Rule Utilitarians argue that moral rules prohibiting adultery, divorce and incest will produce more pleasure than pain than other rules

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