It matters in moral philosophy how you arrive at your conclusions. In this post I’d like to discuss two different ways through which we could justify moral activities.
Consequentialist
The Consequentialist justifies actions by way of results. They look at outcomes of moral actions, and from there decide what is the right thing to do.
An example of consequentialist thinking is Utilitarianism. It is a philosophical brand in ethics which argues that all actions must be measured by how much they contribute to general utility. We should hence take actions that deliver the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people.
What is disregarded here is the motivation or nature of the action.
Deontologist
The Deontologist focuses on the action rather than the outcomes and asks: “are my actions compatible with some imperative”?
An example of Deontology is Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative that we treat all persons as ends in themselves and never as means. He writes:
“Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end.”
Libertarian Consequentialist vs Libertarian Deontologist
The libertarian consequentialist believes that government should be small, and individual freedom should be encouraged as this would lead to maximum social utility. Free markets are good according to libertarian consequentialists - not because they are inherently good, but because they lead to a higher standard of living and social well-being. An example of a libertarian consequentialist is David Friedman.
The libertarian deontologist believes that every human being has the natural right to self-ownership. From this natural right, we are not allowed to impose our will on other human beings. Nor are we allowed to take away the fruits of people’s labour that they have harvested through the use of their own mind and body. Hence, free markets are good as it respects all human beings as sovereign individuals who pursue goods and wants as they desire – of course as long as they don’t infringe on other people’s rights to self-ownership. An example of a libertarian deontologist is Murray Rothbard.
