consequentialism examples in everyday life
That is, one must look to see whether financial benefit outweighs the health drawback, and whether the benefit to me outweighs the harm to you. We formed four focus groups containing 6-9 participants each. Communication. To see the difference in principle between these theories, suppose there is a somewhat reliable authority on what specific kinds of actions are objectively right. There are more versions of consequentialism than are presented above. (From 7, crossing for you out of both sides of the equation), An action is good insofar as its overall consequences contain happiness. Continued deception about a serious matter is difficult, so at the outset you must take into account the chance that you will fail or give up. An example of act utilitarianism is a pharmaceutical company releasing a drug that has been governmentally approved with known side effects because the drug is able to help more people than are bothered by the minor side effects. It is the only moral framework that can be used to justify military force or war. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. Consequentialism can be broken down into two core beliefs: Today, consequentialism has many different forms from utilitarianism to rule consequentialism and has been applied in various contexts, from business decisions to criminal justice. Second, more concretely, to be moral is to care about people. On this view, a problem with setting a very high speed limit is that it causes early deaths, which reduce the amount of life and thus reduce the amount of happiness there will be. The rules that should be adopted are the rules that would produce the best results if they were adopted by most people. If there is an answer, perhaps it is something like this: both A itself and the things A causes are things that happen if you do A rather than the alternatives to A. But this reason for favoring consequentialism seems confused. See Sen (1982), Nagel (1986), Scheffler (1994), Bennett (1989), Scheffler (1989), Brink (1986), and Skorupski (1995). Her expectation that it will produce or promote that good outcome is her reason for performing the action. It may be the prevention of some harm. It was reasonable for him to rely on her imperfect judgment, even though neither of them knew quite what gold is. Consequentialism is the view that morality is all about producing the right kinds of overall consequences. or a consequentialist approach on which they should cognize in the most value-promoting ways (Thorstad, forthcoming c). For one thing, consequentialism holds that actions do matter, because they are among their own consequences. An example here would be providing medical aid during wartime. Individuals are put in a position to make a choice between one life vs. multiple lives. The term 'deontology' originates from the Greek words of 'deon', meaning duty, and 'logos', meaning science or the study of. Shaver, R. (2019, January 15). If only permanent things mattered, then your happiness and misery in this life would not matter at all; but surely they do matter. But we need nice honest friends if we are to be effective doers of good in the long run. To practice one skill, one must neglect or even undermine another skill. Anyone who does not know your secret will not really know you and hence cannot be your real friend. Copyright 2023 Helpful Professor. (Premise), The right action is whatever would promote the greatest possible balance of satisfaction of the desires of all people. But if quantity of life were the only kind of good result, then a long happy life would be no better than a long unhappy life. Deontological ethics is best understood through the contrast of utilitarianism which is based on consequentialism, or the idea that the morality of an action is valued based on its consequences,. 7 Real Life Examples Of Deontology - StudiousGuy Dual Consequentialism: The word right is ambiguous. So far as he can reasonably guess, that scheme would have the best overall consequences. Forming many romantic attachments hardly seems like the path toward perfection; nor perhaps does the widespread spiritual exercise of focusing on wishing people well without actually helping them. Theories like these that count the same kinds of consequence differently for each person acting, are sometimes called agent-relative forms of consequentialism, though one might wonder whether they are in the spirit of consequentialism at all. Moral Philosophy studies what is right and wrong, and related philosophical issues. McElwee, B. But if everyone hauled their garbage a few miles to the dump instead, in a year or two everyone would have a nice river, which is much more valuable to each person than the minor convenience of not having to haul ones garbage to the dump. On consequentialist grounds, actions and inactions whose negative consequences outweigh the positive consequences will be deemed morally wrong while actions and inactions whose positive . This makes the crime much, much worse. Hence it would be misleading to say that consequentialism is the view that morality is all about results. If you happen to be in charge of setting speed limits, you might be thinking that a bad result is a death: the fewer deaths, the better. BBC - Ethics - Introduction to ethics: Duty-based ethics BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. It follows the thought that actions can be judged entirely on the result of the act in question. Introduction to Utilitarianism | Utilitarianism.net The Consequentialist Perspective. In, Railton, Peter. Two Departures from Consequentialism., Brink, David. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/egoism/. Here is a brief overview of the main forms of consequentialism: Utilitarianism is a type of consequentialism that states that an action should be judged based on its ability to maximize happiness for most people. For example when faced with a difficult situation in your life, you can use ethical theories to assist you in making the right decision. On this theory, an action is not right or wrong because of its own consequences; rather, it is right or wrong depending on whether it violates the collective rules that would have the best consequences. Utilitarianism and the pandemic - Savulescu - Wiley Online Library One might object that if the objectively right action is the one whose consequences are best, then general social opinion cannot be an authority on objective rightness, even on those issues where the general opinion is clear. Pleasures pass by as quickly as actions. https://helpfulprofessor.com/consequentialism-examples/, That the consequences of an act are what ultimately matter when assessing its moral worth. That is a reason to think that promoting equality in external goods will tend to do more total good than promoting inequality. A poor man will value $1000 dollars. (2010). Ethical Absolutism and the Ideal Observer., Foot, Philippa. Yet prominent commentators suggest or imply that Sen's CA is not "consequentialist". Consequentialism is a normative theory of ethics that offers a systematic approach to reaching ethical and moral conclusions. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. As I proceed to feed my cat, I almost never think about the consequences of doing so versus not doing so, but surely it would be wrong to say that I have no view or that my view is not reasonable. Hence consequentialism is opposed to common sense and is probably wrong. See Sidgwick (1907). For example, when faced with multiple simultaneous patients in the emergency department it is important to have a way of reaching a decision quickly about which patient to attend to first. Thus it would seem that the standards of goodness vary with the kind of thing we are talking about. If you decide by looking to the consequences, you are not really an honest person. A Plague of Catholic Cafeteria Consequentialism | Church Life Journal Hence the reasonable expectation is that embezzling your grandmothers checks would have terrible consequences. She cares only about whether it actually succeededeven though, as explained above, the success, when it happens, is arguably not a consequence of your intentional action at all. (There can also be a scalar version of this view and of the others introduced below.). Consequentialism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Virtue Ethics in Healthcare Case 1. For example, this could be in times of war or a financial crash. But skill is not one thing. (But see Tnnsj (1988), 41ff.) Hooker, B. Studentsshould always cross-check any information on this site with their course teacher. And since we ought to do what is rationally justifiable, we ought to do whatever does the most good overall. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40926832. On the other hand, one might think it is impossible to know what is morally right; morality seems permanently controversial and mysterious. A Relatively Plausible Principle of Beneficence: Reply to Mulgan., Norcross, Alastair. Similarly, if a certain action would be good for me but bad for you, there is a reason for it and a reason against it. Section 3 above presented several objections to consequentialism, arguing that consequentialism conflicts with one or another basic piece of common sense about morality. So, an action may be deemed morally right even if it harms certain individuals or violates their rights as long as the overall outcome is beneficial. Rule Consequentialism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Fall 2013 The criticisms of consequentialism raise a number of fundamental questions that are important in ascertaining the relationship with criminal law and justice practice. These are good because of the further goods that they tend to produce. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. But one could object that in another sense, such a conception is not egalitarian because it does not care whether happiness is distributed equally or unequally among people. A different kind of reply to the objection is to propose that one of the ultimate standards for goodness of consequences should be equality. A Brief Introduction to Consequentialism Ethics - Benjamin Spall Hence good seems not to have a meaning in that context. Researchers identify many criticisms of consequentialism, such as its lack of consideration for individual rights, reliance on calculation and prediction, and failure to consider certain values, such as justice or fairness. Instead they use ethical rules that are derived from considering the general consequences of particular types of acts. While the burglar only sought to benefit themselves, their robbery actually stopped the crime. (From 9), X is desirable means X will help satisfy desire if, X occurs. (Premise), The words good and desirable are synonyms. However, in letting the missile launch, thousands of people will die. It differs from utilitarianism in focusing more on individual pleasure than collective good (Scheffler, 2009). Your focus must be on the actions taken instead of the results achieved. However, in support of consequentialism it might be argued that many of the things listed above do influence the good or bad consequences of an act, particularly when formulating ethical rules, and so they become incorporated in consequentialist ethical thinking; but only through the back door, not directly. Here the phrase overall consequences of an action means everything the action brings about, including the action itself. In economics, we can replace the terms . The defender of Reasonable or Dual Consequentialism might argue that the objection has misunderstood what it is to have a reasonable estimate of an actions consequences. Hence Consequentialism is true. If every action is taken to produce some benefit, that shows only that the benefit is part of the reason for every action, not that the benefit is the whole reason. Egoism. Why would two-level consequentialists punish only the guilty? "For example, you can hold the door open for someone, pick up trash that you see on. Deontological ethics suggest that you should always do the right thing, no matter what. All utilitarian theories share four key elements: consequentialism, welfarism, impartiality, and aggregationism. Consequentialism has both practical and philosophical problems: And these are things that many think are relevant to ethical judgements. And what moves you to spend an hour with your friend or spouse or child should not be impartial calculations about the overall impact on the world at large. If the evil group was so cleverly deceptive that even the Better Business Bureaus web site said they do good work fighting malaria, then you may think the damage done by my money was not my fault. For example, lying may be considered acceptable if it leads to a positive outcome, such as saving someone's life. Good and Bad Actions., Pettit, Philip. The Teleological Ethical Theories: [Essay Example], 505 words Good actions are the ones that produce the least harm. Therefore, it is necessary to advocate . (From 2), X is desirable means If X occurs, X will help satisfy desire. (Premise), What is ultimately desirable for each person is her own happinessand whatever promotes that. I start with some easy examples. It may be a benefit of a particular kind: a financial benefit, a heath benefit, entertainment or knowledge. Yet there is not broad agreement on the abstract question, What is morality all about? At such times we might overlook the fact that the aspects of morality that we agree on as obvious cover so much territory that they sketch the basic shape of civilized life. Now, suppose that you do not happen to know whether this machine always yields heads or always tails. This historically important and still popular theory embodies the basic intuition that what is best or right is whatever makes the world best . Still, it will help reduce car accidents, potentially saving many lives. 7 Examples of Utilitarianism in Real Life - The Boffins Portal An approach of 'rule consequentialism' may support an insistence on inviolability of human rights in individual decision-cases, but will combine that with trying to design systems of rules that. Moss-Wellington, W. (2021). The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 7. Internet Encyclopedia of Philisophy: Consequentialism. Social Roles. Web Accessibility, Copyright 2023 Ethics Unwrapped - McCombs School of Business The University of Texas at Austin, Being Your Best Self, Part 1: Moral Awareness, Being Your Best Self, Part 2: Moral Decision Making, Being Your Best Self, Part 3: Moral Intent, Being Your Best Self, Part 4: Moral Action, Ethical Leadership, Part 1: Perilous at the Top, Ethical Leadership, Part 2: Best Practices, Financial Conflicts of Interest in Research, Curbing Corruption: GlaxoSmithKline in China. But if telling a lie would help save a persons life, consequentialism says its the right thing to do. Perhaps it does not involve explicitly thinking about the consequences at all. Deontology and the Agent: A Reply to Bennett. It is often used as a moral tool for decision-making and emphasizes the importance of consequences to determine the morality of an action (Driver, 2014). Thus consequentialism seems to defeat its own purpose. Examples Of Consequentialism - 889 Words - Internet Public Library The utilitarian theory focuses on an action that produces the greatest good which benefits the majority of individuals. Whether an act is right or wrong depends only on the results of that act, The more good consequences an act produces, the better or more right that act, A person should choose the action that maximises good consequences, People should live so as to maximise good 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. Also, if you have important secrets, you may find it hard to have ordinary trust for others; you may become somewhat paranoid and ineffective. PDF RULE CONSEQUENTIALISM - Arizona State University Such a conception is egalitarian in the sense that it counts every bit of your happiness as being just as important as the same sized bits of my happiness. More importantly, in the long run no result remains, or at least no earthly result. If the outcome is good, how one achieved the outcome is not that important. Utilitarianism: What It Is, Founders, and Main Principles - Investopedia See Jackson (1991). A consequentialist theory of value judges the rightness or wrongness of an action based on the consequences that action has. One possible reply to this argument against consequentialism is that even if good overall consequences turns out to be meaningless, one might still think, for example, that the right action is the one that causes the most happiness. Philosophers express this with greater precision: An action is morally right if and only if it does not violate the set of rules of behaviour whose general acceptance in the community would have the best consequences--that is, at least as good as any rival set of rules or no rules at all. (From 4 and 5), What objectively ought to happen, what is objectively desirable, is whatever would be wished for by a spectator with full knowledge and no bias; that is, someone who knows everything and is equally sympathetic with everyone. So if your action does vastly more good than what most other people would do in similar circumstances, but you could have chosen an action that would have done even a little more, Plain Consequentialism says that what you did was morally wrong. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/0731129x.2017.1345221. 3 says that she has another desirethe desire that all her other desires be fulfilled as much as possible. A great example of this would be at the beginning of . It is unclear, then, whether the standard to which we should hold theories of morality is that they must explain why morality is easy to know about or why morality is terribly hard to know about! This course of action is justified only if their actions can be proven to be a threat to society, regardless of their intentions or potential benefits. To find out whether the action is rationally justifiable overall, one must look beyond these specific kinds of reason to find what overall reason there is. This says that the ethically right choice in a given situation is the one that produces the most happiness and the least unhappiness for the largest number of people. A Plague of Catholic Cafeteria Consequentialism. W-2 BUS 109 DIS.docx - posted 6 months ago last edited 4 Even in mathematics, crossing the same thing out of both sides of a true equation does not always yield a new true equation. In choosing an action, one is normally not choosing its whole set of consequences, because one cannot know what most of the consequences are. Some others are presented below, and anyone can invent new ones by following the instructions given in section 1a. For the moment, Jill was an authority for Jack on whether these lumps were gold. What then, do these two kinds of consequence have in common, that makes them both consequences? Suppose that by killing X, an entirely innocent person, we can save the lives of 10 other innocent people, A consequentialist would say that killing X is justified because it would result in only 1 person dying, rather than 10 people dying, It seems sensible to base ethics on producing happiness and reducing unhappiness, It seems sensible to base ethics on the consequences of what we do, since we usually take decisions about what to do by considering what results will be produced.
