MIXORA CONCEPT
Consequentialism
A family of moral theories that evaluates choices centrally by the value of their consequences.
Consequentialist views differ over which outcomes matter, whose welfare counts and whether acts, rules or motives are evaluated indirectly through consequences.
What “Interpretation” means
This is a philosophical distinction, theory or contested way of organizing a question—not an empirical diagnosis with one universally accepted answer.
VISUAL EXPLANATION · MARKER BOARDA person may favor diverting a trolley because one death is a better outcome than five.
Consequentialism is broader than ‘the ends justify any means’; sophisticated versions include rules, uncertainty and long-term effects.
Which consequences count, for whom, and across what time horizon?
A family of moral theories centered on duties, permissions, prohibitions or rights rather than consequences alone.
→thoughtVirtue ethicsAn approach to ethics that gives central importance to character, practical wisdom and human flourishing.
→thoughtThought experimentA deliberately imagined scenario used to clarify a concept, test a principle or explore consequences.
→SOURCES & TRUST
References
Last reviewed
- 01Virtue EthicsReference source
Rosalind Hursthouse and Glen Pettigrove · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Character-centered ethics compared with rules and consequences. - 02Deontological EthicsReference source
Larry Alexander and Michael Moore · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Duty- and constraint-centered approaches to moral choice.
What the source labels mean
- Primary source
- Original work, experiment, standard or historical text.
- Academic source
- Scholarly research or review published for an academic audience.
- Reference source
- An expert standard, encyclopedia or institutional explanation that summarizes a field.
- General reference
- A practical specialist resource useful for application, but not treated as decisive research by itself.