Utilitarian (Consequentialist)
An action that is ‘consequentialist’ finds ethical justification in the likelihood of desirable or undesirable outcomes. The focus is on the consequences that follow from specific actions rather than on the action itself. Egoists find ethical justification in the value of the consequences for themselves. Altruists find ethical justification in the value of the consequences for others. Utilitarians find ethical justification in the value of the consequences for the greatest number (including but not limited to the decision-maker). For ‘act utilitarians’, ethically justified actions produce the greatest good for the greatest number in a specific/given situation. For ‘rule utilitarians’, a person ought to act in a way that if generally followed would produce the greatest balance of good consequences over bad consequences.