Which of the following ethics theories focuses primarily on the consequences of actions?

Consequentialism is an ethical theory that evaluates the morality of actions based on their outcomes or consequences. The core principle of this theory asserts that the rightness of an action is determined by the results it produces, emphasizing the ends that justify the means. In this framework, actions are deemed morally right if they lead to favorable results and wrong if they lead to negative outcomes.

While other ethical theories, such as deontological ethics, focus on the inherent rightness or wrongness of actions irrespective of their consequences, and virtue ethics prioritizes the character and virtues of the moral agent rather than the effects of their actions, consequentialism directly aligns with the notion that the results of actions are the key factor in ethical decision-making.

Utilitarianism is actually a specific form of consequentialism that seeks to maximize overall happiness or utility, reinforcing the focus on the consequences of actions to determine their ethical value, but since the question asks for the theory that primarily focuses on consequences, it is consequentialism that fits this broader description.