[PHI 2200] Consequentialism and the Sorites Paradox

The sorties paradox is a class of paradoxical arguments (AKA "little-by-little" arguments), which arise as a result of vagueness. One such paradoxical argument is known as The Heap:

Would you describe a single grain of wheat as a heap? No. Would you describe two grains of wheat as a heap? No. … You must admit the presence of a heap sooner or later, so where do you draw the line?

Formally, this paradoxical argument looks like this:

1. 1 grain of wheat does not make a heap.
2. If 1 grain of wheat does not make a heap, then 2 grains of wheat do not make a heap.
3. ...
4. If 999,999 grains of wheat do not make a heap, then 1,000,000 grains of wheat do not make a heap.
5. Therefore, 1,000,000 grains of wheat do not make a heap.

The argument is valid but the conclusion seems false; hence the paradox.

Now, consequentialism is "the view that normative properties depend only on consequences." For example, an action is morally good if it brings about good consequences. To make things simple, let's suppose that each good consequence is one unit of good. An action, then, can bring about more than one good consequence, and hence be worth more than one unit of good.

With this in mind, consider the following variation on The Heap; call it The Good:

Would you describe an act that produces a single unit of good as morally good? Where do you draw the line?

1. 1 unit of good does not make an action morally good.
2. If 1 unit of good does not make an action morally good, then 2 units of good do not make an action morally good.
3. ...
4. If 999,999 units of good do not make an action morally good, then 1,000,000 units of good do not make an action morally good.
5. Therefore, 1,000,000 units of good do not make an action morally good.

As in any sorites paradox, we can also move in reverse, i.e., by subtraction, as follows:

1. An action that produces 1,000,000 units of good is morally good.
2. If an action that produces 1,000,000 units of good is morally good, then an action that produces 999,999 units of good is morally good.
3. ...
4. If an action that produces 2 units of good is morally good, then an action that produces 1 unit of good is morally good.
5. Therefore, an action that produces 1 unit of good is morally good.

Is this a problem for consequentialists?