Consequentialism (Including Utilitarianism)

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Consequentialism is the theory that the way to tell whether a particular choice is the right choice for an agent to make or to have made is to look at the relevant consequences of the decision: to look at the relevant effects of the decision on the world. It gives rise to many questions. Some are general questions as to how more precisely the doctrine can be defined and defended, and as to what the main forms of opposition are. Others are in-house questions that go to matters of detail in the specification of the theory. This article offers an overview of positions on those questions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationInternational Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences: Second Edition
PublisherElsevier Inc.
Pages679-683
Number of pages5
ISBN (Electronic)9780080970875
ISBN (Print)9780080970868
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 26 2015

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Social Sciences

Keywords

  • Decision Making, Psychology of
  • Utilitarian Social Thought, History of
  • Utilitarianism: Contemporary Applications

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