Which ethical framework prioritizes the consequences of actions to determine morality?

Consequentialism is the ethical framework that places emphasis on the outcomes or consequences of actions when evaluating their moral implications. In this framework, the rightness or wrongness of an action is judged based on the results it produces. The fundamental idea is that a good action is one that leads to the best overall consequences for the greatest number of people, which is a key principle in utilitarianism, a branch of consequentialism.

This focus on outcomes distinguishes consequentialism from other ethical frameworks. For instance, deontology is centered around rules and duties, where the morality of an action is evaluated based on adherence to a set of principles, regardless of the consequences. Virtue ethics, on the other hand, focuses on the character and virtues of the moral agent rather than the results of specific actions. Public health ethics emphasizes the welfare of the community and societal consequences, but it still does not prioritize outcomes in the same manner that consequentialism does. Thus, consequentialism stands out as the framework that specifically considers the consequences as the primary basis for determining morality.