Consequentialist Moral Theories

Based on the Consequentialist/Teleological theory, “Good is prior to the right.” “Good” refers to the nonmoral outcome, and “right” refers to the action based on morality. This theory prioritizes the outcomes of the actions. According to Darwall, “Consequentialist moral theories all agree that the moral rightness and wrongness of acts are determined by the non-moral goodness of relevant consequences” (23). If the outcome is good, then the action is morality right. If the outcome is not good, then the action is immoral. A consequentialist would reach for pleasure, help others in need, and maximize the happiness for the greatest amount of people, which is an utilitarian point of view. Sometimes maximizing the happiness for the greatest amount of people comes from an immoral action.
It is often easier to make decisions when we acknowledge its potential consequences. A good scenario for this would be: a bystander in front of the bank hears two people talking about how one of them is going to rob the bank while the other one stays in the car. The bystander also hears this from one of the robbers, “I will get this money no matter if I have to kill someone.” The bystander carries a gun, legally, and decides to confront the person that is going to rob the bank and accidently kills him. There is no obligation or duty to get involved in this situation, but …show more content…
Lying can be an immoral thing to do for many people, but sometimes it’s needed to prevent bad things from happening. For example, Jamie is talking to her best confident named Sarah about her ex-boyfriend, who is stalking her. One day, Jamie tells Sarah that her ex-boyfriend is very possessive, even though they are not together anymore. Jamie’s ex-boyfriend goes to Sarah’s house looking for Jamie, but Sarah lies to him saying Jamie is not there. Sarah knows that lying is not moral, but this time it is protecting Jamie from getting some potential