The Role of Impartial Consequentialism in the United States Government

Abstract

When forming a government one must consider how the laws of the state will align with moral principles. One such possible moral principle is called ‘impartial consequentialism’. That is the thesis according to which an action is morally right if and only if it maximizes the aggregate good. This honors thesis will discuss three issues. The first issue is whether and to what extent impartial consequentialism has influenced the formation of the United States government. The second issue is the apparent conflict between the Bill of Rights and the concept of impartial consequentialism. The third issue involves a potential objection that one might raise to the role of impartial consequentialism in the United States government.