Can Contractualism and Consequentialism be used together in a two-stage model?

Abstract

Contractualism and consequentialism, two of the most prominent theories in contemporary morality, are often perceived to be in opposition to each other. This essay will propose a novel two-stage system for moral decision-making which combines the two. I will explain how this model retains the strengths of contractualism and consequentialism, whilst resolving many of the problems with the theories as they stand alone.