Consequentialism evaluates actions by considering what they bring about. This lesson introduces its central idea and shows how Mohism developed an approach to ethical judgment amid social conflict in ancient China.
People often weigh likely benefits and costs when making decisions. Consequentialists extend this kind of reasoning beyond personal advantage: an action is right when it produces the greatest good for everyone affected. The agent considers possible outcomes and asks which action will maximize overall good.
All flashcards
What is consequentialism?
A view that assesses rightness by consequences; in this account, right action maximizes overall good.
Why did Mohist thought emerge amid social unrest?
Mohists sought ethical standards and practices to counter warfare and suffering, improve lives, and foster social order.
What does benefit (li) mean in Mohism?
A broad set of material and social goods, including virtues and practices that strengthen social order.
How do morality and benefit relate in Mohist ethics?
Morality (yi) is determined by benefit (li), which helps establish what is right.
What is universal love in Mohism?
Impartial care for all people, without giving some people’s welfare less weight because of personal preference.
Quiz questions
In Mill’s formulation, what makes an action right under the principle of utility?Answer: It tends to promote happiness rather than its opposite.
How do act utilitarians and rule utilitarians differ in their approach?Answer: Act utilitarians assess each case; rule utilitarians assess rules by their general effects.
A trolley will kill five workers unless a bystander diverts it onto a track where one worker will die. In the simple utilitarian calculation, what does pulling the lever do?Answer: It saves four lives overall.
What was Jeremy Bentham’s contribution to utilitarian thought?Answer: He was the first philosopher to articulate the principle of utility.
What is the only intrinsic value in utilitarianism as presented here?Answer: Happiness.