Smart, Peter Singer (early in his career))Ĭlassical Act Utilitarianism (CAU) : An act, A, is morally right if and only if it brings about the best balance of pleasure and pain. Here are some of the main Consequentialist principles:Īct Utilitarianism (AU) : An act, A, is morally right if and only if A maximizes total (or social) utility (i.e., the utility of all).
Is it obligatory to maximize good consequences, minimize bad consequences, bring about the best balance of good and bad consequences, satisfice (i.e., to accept the first satisfactory option that comes close enough to the best outcome) or what?ĭepending on how those questions are answered, we can develop different versions of consequentialism. What counts as good consequences (benefits) and what counts as bad consequences (harms)? What kinds of things and situation are intrinsically good and bad?Īre some values more important than others and always (or typically) take precedent over other values? (On this topic there is a debate between the quantitative hedonism (Bentham) and qualitative hedonism (Mill) and theorists who argue that other than pleasure things also can be intrinsically good.)ĭo harms and benefits of someone (some beings) count for more or less than harms and benefits of other beings? (E.g., do interests of people belonging to some race count for more than interests of other beings? Do animal harms matter?) When you read about utilitarianism (and consequentialism in general), keep in mind the questions that all versions of consequentialism must address, namely: whether this action is right or wrong, obligatory or forbidden, etc.) depends solely on the good and bad consequences of this action (benefits and harms).īy contrast, theories that are versions of deontology postulate that he moral status of a given action depends (not on consequences of this action) but rather on the fact that an agent fulfilled her duty (in Greek deon) (on on related issues such as that someone's moral rights are respected).Īlso by contrast, virtue ethics (e.g., a classical Natural Law theory) characterizes the moral status of actions in terms of what a virtuous person would do. All versions of consequentialism postulate that the moral status of a given action (i.e.
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