Single Idea 5122

[catalogued under 22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / g. Consequentialism]

Full Idea

Consequentialism may be put forward not as an attempt to capture intuitive folk morality but rather as a critique of ordinary tuitions.

Gist of Idea

Maybe consequentialism is a critique of ordinary morality, rather than describing it

Source

Gilbert Harman (Moral Philosophy meets social psychology [1999], 10.1)

Book Reference

Harman,Gilbert: 'Explaining Value and Other Essays' [OUP 2000], p.165


A Reaction

It is certainly true that most people are concerned with why an action was performed, and (after initial anger) are prepared to forgive an unintended disaster. We have no moral objections to earthquakes, which have bad consequences.