It judges an act based on whether the outcome thereof can be rationalized and has achieved its desired results even if the means that act of achieving such result was unethical, immoral or even illegal (Kubasek et al, 2017). Consequential theories form part of the utilitarian school of thought, one of which is Act Utilitarianism (Kubasek et al, 2017). Act Utilitarianism determines an act as morally acceptable only when the act results in the maximum of good for the greatest amount of people (Sinnott-Armstrong, 2015). It is a calculation to determine whether the action, regardless of whether it is right or wrong, brings net happiness to society (Kubasek et al, 2017).
The Humanist Theory determines whether actions are ethically acceptable or not based on their contribution to “improving inherent human capacities such as intelligence, wisdom and self-restraint” (Kubasek et al, p. 193). Doing something in contravention of the law does not advance inherent human capacities such as intelligence, wisdom, and self-restraint, therefore the act is not ethical even if the consequences are