the.com/consequentialism
the ends justify the means, formalized and given office hours.
means an ethical theory judging whether an action is right solely by the outcomes it produces, not the intentions behind it or rules it breaks.
from coined mid-20th century by philosopher G.E.M. Anscombe, who actually meant it as a critique of thinkers like Mill treating outcomes as the whole story of morality.
utilitarianismits most famous, most argued-about offspring
trolley problemexists basically to torture this theory
coined criticallynamed by an opponent, not a fan
future focusedjudges acts before they happen, by predicted results