Editing Normative ethics (section)

=== Consequentialism ===
{{Main|Consequentialism}}
Consequentialism argues that the morality of an action is contingent on the action's outcome or result. Consequentialist theories, varying in what they consider to be valuable (i.e., [[axiology]]), include:

* [[Utilitarianism]] holds that an action is right if it leads to the most ''[[happiness]]'' for the greatest number of people. Prior to the coining of the term "consequentialism" by [[G. E. M. Anscombe]] in 1958<ref name=":1" /> and the adoption of that term in the literature that followed, ''utilitarianism'' was the generic term for ''consequentialism'', referring to all theories that promoted maximizing ''any'' form of utility, not just those that promoted maximizing happiness.
* [[State consequentialism]], or [[Mohism|Mohist]] consequentialism, holds that an action is right if it leads to ''state welfare'', through ''[[Social order|order]]'', ''[[material wealth]]'', and ''[[population growth]]''.
* [[Situational ethics]] emphasizes the particular context of an act when evaluating it ethically. Specifically, [[Christian ethics|Christian forms]] of situational ethics hold that the correct action is the one that creates the most loving result, and that ''love'' should always be people's goal.
* [[Intellectualism]] dictates that the best action is the one that best fosters and promotes ''[[knowledge]]''.
* [[Welfarism]], which argues that the best action is the one that most increases ''economic well-being or welfare''.
* [[Preference utilitarianism]], which holds that the best action is the one that leads to the most overall ''preference satisfaction''.