konsekwencja

Konsekwencja is a Polish noun meaning a result, outcome, or effect that follows from a cause. It can refer to everyday results of actions or events as well as to formal relationships in logic, philosophy, law, or public policy. In common language one speaks of the consequences of decisions, actions, or events, for example “konsekwencje decyzji” or “ponieść konsekwencje.”

Etymology and usage: the term derives from Latin consecquentia, through French and other intermediaries, and entered Polish with the sense of a following result. The word is feminine (konsekwencja) and has the plural form konsekwencje.

In logic and philosophy: konsekwencja describes a relationship in which a conclusion follows from premises. In Polish one can say that B is a konsekwencja A, or that B is a logical consequence of A; the phrase konsekwencja logiczna is used to specify this technical sense.

Ethics and law: in normative ethics, konsekwencja is central to consequentialism (konsekwencjalizm), the view that actions are right or wrong based on their outcomes. In law and public policy, konsekwencje refer to legal or regulatory effects, obligations, penalties, or liabilities that arise from particular actions or statutes.

Nuance and synonyms: konsekwencja implies an ordered or inevitable result and is often more formal than the synonym skutek, which denotes an event or outcome without emphasizing the relational aspect.