CONSEQUENTIALISM:
Moral theory according to which the goodness of the consequences of actions are what
determines the rightness and wrongness of actions.
Consequentialist Principle (C):
An action is right if and only if (and because) its consequences would be at least as
good (in terms of intrinsic value) as the consequences of any alternative action that
the agent might instead perform.
Some important aspects of C :
– Value-based theory: right action defined in terms of intrinsic value.
– Alternative actions: principle kicks in when there are alternative courses of action
available to an agent.
– Comparative theory: rightness depends on comparative amount of intrinsic value
