Full Idea
All judgements as to what is useful depend upon some judgement as to what has value on its own account.
Gist of Idea
Judgements of usefulness depend on judgements of value
Source
Bertrand Russell (Problems of Philosophy [1912], Ch. 7)
Book Reference
Russell,Bertrand: 'The Problems of Philosophy' [OUP 1995], p.42
A Reaction
This is a beautifully simple point to be made about utilitarianism. The notion that pleasure is the sole good is prior, and the first two sentences in Bentham totally beg that question. What is the value of pleasure? Is it wicked to turn down a pleasure?