Final answer:
Consequentialism is the ethical perspective that judges the morality of actions based on their outcomes or consequences, advocating for the greatest good or happiness for the greatest number.
Step-by-step explanation:
The outcome orientation perspective of ethics is called consequentialism. This approach evaluates the morality of an action based on the consequences it produces. In consequentialism, an action is considered morally right if it results in the greatest good or happiness for the greatest number of people.
This ethical perspective is grounded in the views of philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, who believed in assessing moral actions based on the pleasure and overall happiness they generate, a theory known as utilitarianism.
Contrastingly, deontological ethics, rooted in the work of Immanuel Kant, focuses on adhering to duty or rules, regardless of the outcome. Lastly, virtue ethics centers on character traits and habits that embody moral virtue. Thus, while consequentialism looks at the outcomes or consequences, deontology looks at duty and rules, and virtue ethics looks at character development when determining the ethical nature of actions.