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Philosophy vocabulary · Ethics and Moral Philosophy

Consequentialism

Meaning in philosophy, with examples

/ˌkɒnsɪˈkwenʃəlɪzəm/nounCommon term

In philosophy, consequentialism means: The view that whether an action is right or wrong depends only on its consequences, so the best action is the one with the best outcome.

In Turkish: sonuççuluk

How it is used

A broad family that includes utilitarianism but also theories that value things other than happiness. The term was coined by Elizabeth Anscombe in 1958. It is usually contrasted with deontology and virtue ethics.

Example sentences

  1. For consequentialism, lying is wrong only when it leads to worse results.

  2. She defends a version of consequentialism that also counts fairness as a good outcome.

Common collocations

  • act consequentialism
  • rule consequentialism
  • consequentialist reasoning
  • consequentialism versus deontology
  • utilitarianismAn ethical theory holding that the right action is the one that produces the greatest overall happiness or well-being for everyone affected.
  • deontologyA family of ethical theories holding that some actions are right or wrong in themselves, because of duties or rules, whatever their consequences.
  • virtue ethicsAn approach to ethics that focuses on good character and virtues such as courage, honesty and practical wisdom, rather than on rules or consequences.
  • normativeConcerned with how things ought to be, or with what is good, right or reasonable, rather than with describing how things actually are.

More terms: Ethics and Moral Philosophy

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