Full Idea
Basing ethics on human flourishing tends towards utilitarianism or consequentialism; actions, character traits, laws, and so on are to be assessed with reference to their contributions to human flourishing.
Clarification
'Flourishing' translates the Greek word 'eudaimonia'
Gist of Idea
Basing ethics on flourishing makes it consequentialist, as actions are judged by contributing to it
Source
Gilbert Harman (Human Flourishing, Ethics and Liberty [1983], 9.2.2)
Book Reference
Harman,Gilbert: 'Explaining Value and Other Essays' [OUP 2000], p.156
A Reaction
This raises the question of whether only virtue can contribute to flourishing, or whether a bit of vice might be helpful. This problem presumably pushed the Stoics to say that virtue itself is the good, rather than the resulting flourishing.