Consequentialism is a valid normative ethical system

Thank you con. I will begin with a defense of my contentions, followed by a criticism of my opponent's. 1. Please note that consequentialism says nothing about there being no intrinsic values. Consequentialism dictates that an act's value is based on the values of its consequences. The only consequences that would not have intrinsic value would be the ones that are acts. In the case of an act's consequences being acts themselves, the same process of looking for the value of consequences would be repeated until all of the consequences have intrinsic value. This is a point that my opponent is struggling to acknowledge. The value of an act has to be judged by its consequences, but things that are not acts may have intrinsic value. Going back to the mattress example, allowing the value of a mattress to be intrinsic does not violate the principle of acts being non-intrinsic. The act of making a mattress would be judged by its impact, but the impact that is a mattress would be valued intrinsically. 2. Firstly, the act can be judged by its consequences, as it's only value is the value of the lives that have been saved. Secondly, what you go on to describe is applied ethics, which I specifically describe as being off topic in the description of the debate. Thirdly, I never mentioned labeling the perpetrator as being positively or neutrally inclined in their act, merely that the act itself can only be valued objectively by its consequences. If glorifying the perpetrator for their actions would lead to bad things, then glorifying them would be wrong. A system of punishment in a consequentialist society would take intentions into account, as certain intentions can lead to negative consequences. This point is invalid, and irrelevant to the debate and should be treated as such. 3. I already clarified why it is completely possible. 4. It was an example. I urge my opponent to find a placement of intrinsic value that does not adhere to the principles of consequentialism would not apply. Also, intrinsic value is readily apply to things that are not conduct. 5. Once again, my opponent mistakes the idea of consequences being applicable to conduct with the idea that nothing, conduct or otherwise has intrinsic value. Plus, decision making is applied ethics, not normative. 6. Let me give you an example. Let's say that the character's value lies partially within the act of never lying. If, hypothetically, the individual in question could only stop themself from lying several times by lying once, it would be moral to lie once to preserve their character. Virtue ethics also puts a lot of faith into the theories of "self" that render it to be a vastly unlikely normative theory to begin with. Now, onto my criticisms of con's contentions. All of the consequences that do come from actions, plural or otherwise, make up the values of said actions. The perpetrator and the actions they commit have separate values assigned to them. If a person is likely to commit several acts that have negative impacts, then simply having one malicious act be ultimately positive does not change how we treat and or label the perpetrator, unless labeling them and treating them that way would lead to positive impacts. Once again, consequentialism is a normative ethical theory. There are three fields of ethics. Meta ethics, where we study what good and bad mean. Normative ethics, where we study how good and bad is assigned and where it is found. Applied ethics, where we study which actions to take after we know what and where good and bad are. If labeling people who did actions which were ultimately positive as villains would produce the best results, then applied ethics deals with that on a case by case basis. Normative ethics just deals with the idea of an action with bad intentions and if they can lead to positive results. Applied ethics figures out how to act based on the results of those ideas. You are the one who keeps on bringing up the impact of labels, but that is irrelevant to the debate at hand I await con's response.