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Single Idea 3770

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / E. Utilitarianism / 3. Motivation for Altruism ]

Full Idea

No reason can be given why the general happiness is desirable, except that each person, so far as he believes it to be attainable, desires his own happiness.

Gist of Idea

General happiness is only desirable because individuals desire their own happiness

Source

John Stuart Mill (Utilitarianism [1861], Ch.4)

Book Ref

Mill,John Stuart: 'Utilitarianism (including On Liberty etc)', ed/tr. Warnock,Mary [Fontana 1962], p.288

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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]