Which statement is commonly associated with teleological ethics?

• A. End justifies the means.
• B. Actions are judged by adherence to moral rules.
• C. Principles are absolute.
• D. Ethics depend on culture.

Answer: (A)

Teleporting to the idea here: teleological ethics judge whether an action is right by its consequences. The focus is on the outcome, not on whether the action itself follows a rule. That’s why the phrase “the end justifies the means” fits teleology so well—it expresses the notion that a good result can make an action acceptable even if the means used aren’t ideal. This view is common in utilitarian or other consequentialist theories, where the overall good produced by an action is the key measure of morality.

In contrast, thinking that actions are right because they follow moral rules reflects deontological thinking, where adherence to rules or duties is what matters. Seeing ethics as absolute principles or as varying by culture points to other frameworks (rule-based ethics or cultural relativism), not teleology.