ABSTRACT

Foundational theories of normative ethics attempt to explain why the various features of the factoral level are the way they are. Teleological foundational theories share the basic thought that, ultimately, the explanation of the factoral level turns on the significance of the good. But different teleological theories diverge from one another insofar as they appeal to different notions of the good. All versions of foundational egoism start with the thought that the ultimate justification for the basic normative factors lies in an appeal to the good of the individual agent. Foundational consequentialists share the belief that, ultimately, the appropriate evaluative standpoint is that of contribution to the overall good. But it seems that accepting this standpoint does not, in and of itself, commit one to any particular view concerning what the primary evaluative focal point should be.