A factory manager must decide whether to replace assembly-line workers with robots but is concerned about employees losing their jobs. The factory…

The factory manager's approach is a clear example of consequentialism. This ethical framework asserts that the morality of an action is determined solely by its outcomes or consequences. The manager is explicitly "weighing all possible outcomes"—both positive (enhanced safety, cost savings, profits, lower prices) and negative (job losses)—to select the action that "produces the greatest good." This calculation-based approach, focused on maximizing overall benefit, is the central tenet of consequentialist theories like utilitarianism.

A. Deontology is incorrect because it judges actions based on adherence to rules or duties (e.g., "it is wrong to lie"), regardless of the consequences. The manager is focused on outcomes, not a pre-existing rule.

B. Relativism is incorrect because it bases morality on cultural or individual standards. The manager is not considering cultural norms but is applying a universal principle of maximizing good.

C. Virtue is incorrect because it focuses on the character of the moral agent rather than the consequences of a specific act. The question is about the decision-making process, not the manager's personal virtues.

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1. Sinnott-Armstrong, W. (2021). "Consequentialism." In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2021 ed.). Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Section 1, "Plain Consequentialism." Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2021/entries/consequentialism/

Reference Point: The entry defines plain consequentialism as the view where "the morally right action is the one with the best overall consequences." This directly aligns with the manager's process of choosing the action that "produces the greatest good."

2. Alexander, L., & Moore, M. (2021). "Deontological Ethics." In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2021 ed.). Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Introduction. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2021/entries/ethics-deontological/

Reference Point: The introduction contrasts deontology with consequentialism, stating that deontologists "judge the morality of choices by criteria different from the states of affairs those choices bring about." This supports why deontology is an incorrect choice.

3. Stangl, R. (2020). "Virtue Ethics." In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2020 ed.). Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Section 1, "Preliminaries." Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2020/entries/ethics-virtue/

Reference Point: The text explains that virtue ethics is distinct from theories that focus on consequences (consequentialism) or duties (deontology), instead emphasizing the character of the moral agent.

4. Emanuel, E. J., & Wertheimer, A. (2011). Ethical Issues in Clinical Research. MIT OpenCourseWare. Lecture 3: "Ethical Frameworks." Retrieved from https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/24-120-moral-psychology-spring-2021/resources/mit24120s21lec3/

Reference Point: The lecture notes (slides 10-12) define consequentialism as the theory where "the rightness of an act depends only on the value of its consequences," which is precisely the logic used by the factory manager.