GENERAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

GENERAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

1. CONSEQUENTIALISM

   • Judges actions based on consequences
     • If consequences are good, the action is good
   • Connected to UTILITARIANISM
     • Greatest good for greatest amount
       • Increase sum of human happiness
         • Once 'happiness' is removed, harder to decide what's 'good'
   • Depends on subjective moral compass
     • Relies on people to make good choices
   • Used in cases of withdrawing treatment from seriously ill babies
   • Do we act for what is good for us? People immediately around us? Further afield?
   • If consequences are unpredicatable, should we base actions around them?
   • May produce unjust results
   • Is motivation relevant?
     • Traditional consequentialism = motivation irrelevant
       •  ‘RULE UTILITARIANISM’ – adopt the set of rules that govern how we act, which will produce the best outcome.