Glossary

Glossary

Act utilitarianism: a normative ethical system of utilitarianism that is concerns with the consequences of the first instance, where the utility of that act is all that is regarded.

Ethical dilemmas: complex situations that often involve an apparent mental conflict between moral imperatives, in which to obey one would result in transgressing another.

Rule utilitarianism: the second formulation of utilitarianism, which is concerned with the consequences of the majority of people following a certain rule that was immoral.

Teleological theory or consequentialist theory: a notion that the consequences of the act is what is the most important determinant to determine whether the act is moral or not. Teleological reasoning takes into consideration that the ethical decision is dependent upon the consequences (“ends”) of the actions. In teleological reasoning, a person will do the right thing if the consequences of their actions are good. Additionally, if an action by a person was an act that was “not good,, but the consequences turned out to be “good,” under some theories of teleological reasoning, the act may be deemed a good ethical act. This is also referred to as “consequentialist moral reasoning,” where we locate morality in the consequences of our actions.