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Single Idea 3767

[filed under theme 22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / g. Consequentialism ]

Full Idea

The motive has nothing to do with the morality of the action, though much with the worth of the agent.

Gist of Idea

Motive shows the worth of the agent, but not of the action

Source

John Stuart Mill (Utilitarianism [1861], Ch.2)

Book Ref

Mill,John Stuart: 'Utilitarianism (including On Liberty etc)', ed/tr. Warnock,Mary [Fontana 1962], p.270

A Reaction

I think it is an error to try to separate these too sharply. Morality can't be purely consequential, because it would make earthquakes immoral. Actions indicate the worth of agents.

The 17 ideas from 'Utilitarianism'

7202 The English believe in the task of annihilating evil for the victory of good [Nietzsche on Mill]
6697 Moral rules protecting human welfare are more vital than local maxims [Mill]
3763 Ultimate goods such as pleasure can never be proved to be good [Mill]
5935 Mill's qualities of pleasure is an admission that there are other good states of mind than pleasure [Ross on Mill]
3764 Actions are right if they promote pleasure, wrong if they promote pain [Mill]
3766 Better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied [Mill]
3765 Only pleasure and freedom from pain are desirable as ends [Mill]
3767 Motive shows the worth of the agent, but not of the action [Mill]
3769 With early training, any absurdity or evil may be given the power of conscience [Mill]
3768 Orthodox morality is the only one which feels obligatory [Mill]
3771 Virtues only have value because they achieve some further end [Mill]
3772 The will, in the beginning, is entirely produced by desire [Mill]
3770 General happiness is only desirable because individuals desire their own happiness [Mill]
3774 Rights are a matter of justice, not of benevolence [Mill]
3775 A right is a valid claim to society's protection [Mill]
3776 Utilitarianism only works if everybody has a totally equal right to happiness [Mill]
3773 No individual has the right to receive our benevolence [Mill]