Következményesség

Következményesség is a philosophical and methodological term used to describe the view that the moral or evaluative worth of an action, decision, or policy is determined primarily by its consequences. The word is built from következmény (consequence) and the suffix -esség, indicating a property or quality. In Hungarian discourse it is closely connected to the broader concept of consequentialism.

In normative ethics, következményesség denotes the family of theories that judge actions by their outcomes. The central idea is that desirable consequences justify actions, while those with harmful results are to be avoided. The most well-known form is act consequentialism, which assesses each individual act by its specific consequences. A related form is rule consequentialism, which evaluates the consequences of following general rules and then endorses actions that conform to those rules. Utilitarianism is a prominent example of consequentialist ethics, aiming to maximize overall well-being or happiness.

Következményesség also appears in other fields, including political philosophy, public policy, and decision theory. In these contexts, the focus is often on predicting, comparing, and optimizing the expected outcomes of different options, policies, or strategies.

Critiques of következményesség commonly address the difficulty of accurately predicting consequences, the challenge of measuring and aggregating utilities or goods, and concerns about rights, justice, or minority protection when the best overall outcome is achieved at the expense of individuals. Proponents have responded with refinements such as rule-consequentialist defenses, attempts to quantify well-being more robustly, and methodological cautions about uncertainty and trade-offs.

Overall, következményesség provides a framework for evaluating actions based on anticipated results, with ongoing debate about its theoretical foundations, practical applicability, and normative limits.