For example, a certain form of consequentialism has as its criterion of right action: act so as to maximize good consequences.
This might invite the complaint that an agent who is constantly trying to maximize good consequences will often, in virtue of that fact, fail to do so.
A distinction between decision procedure and right action can provide a response the consequentialist can say that the criterion of right action, (act so as to maximize good consequences) is not intended as a decision procedure the agent should use whichever decision procedure is most likely to result in success.
Another indirect version is virtue consequentialism, which holds that whether an act is morally right depends on whether it stems from or expresses a state of character that maximizes good consequences and, hence, is a virtue.
I honestly used to believe I am an educated Brazilian citizen that performs a number of environmental related tasks to preserve mother Earth (and by consequence, maximize my personal interest to stay alive): 1) recycle; 2) save water; 3) walk to work; 4) respect and work towards my beloved Amazon Forest protection and reforestation, and so on.
To be sure, Bok is aware of this difficulty and urges appropriate caution; he is neither an unreconstructed utilitarian seeking to maximize pleasure whatever the consequences nor a brave new worlder in search of nirvana.
An attorney can also minimize tax consequences and maximize the money your heirs get.
That is, certain actions can be right even though not maximizing of good consequences, for the rightness of such actions consists in their instantiating certain norms (here, of permission and not of obligation).
It was a carefully orchestrated revelation, designed to try to maximize acceptance and minimize any negative consequences from, say, the Christian ministers whom Mr. Obama mollified by phone.
Consequentialism, however, evaluates actions only according to their likely consequences, classically whether they maximize happiness in the world.
