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Single Idea 4852

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / B. Contract Ethics / 1. Contractarianism ]

Full Idea

The foundation of virtue is the endeavour to preserve one's own being, and happiness consists in man's power of preserving his own being.

Gist of Idea

Both virtue and happiness are based on the preservation of one's own being

Source

Baruch de Spinoza (The Ethics [1675], IV Pr 18)

Book Ref

Spinoza,Benedict de: 'Ethics, Improvement of Understanding, Letters', ed/tr. Elwes,R [Dover 1955], p.201

A Reaction

Spinoza never actually says so, but this seems to me to point to a Hobbesian social contract account of virtue - that is, that virtue is not an ideal, but a strategy. Personally I prefer the Aristotelian view, that it is an ideal revealed to us by nature.

The 25 ideas with the same theme [morality as doing favours in order to receive them]:

440 Hands wash hands; give that you may get [Epicharmus]
1580 For Protagoras the only bad behaviour is that which interferes with social harmony [Protagoras, by Roochnik]
5 Justice is merely the interests of the stronger party [Plato]
19946 Morality is a compromise, showing restraint, to avoid suffering wrong without compensation [Plato]
2097 Isn't it better to have a reputation for goodness than to actually be good? [Plato]
1845 Justice has no independent existence, but arises entirely from keeping contracts [Epicurus]
3560 Justice is merely a contract about not harming or being harmed [Epicurus]
6828 You may break off a treaty if you fear treachery from your ally [Mohammed]
6823 Repay evil with good and your enemies will become friends (though this is hard) [Mohammed]
2371 A contract is a mutual transfer of rights [Hobbes]
2372 The person who performs first in a contract is said to 'merit' the return, and is owed it [Hobbes]
8015 Hobbes wants a contract to found morality, but shared values are needed to make a contract [MacIntyre on Hobbes]
4852 Both virtue and happiness are based on the preservation of one's own being [Spinoza]
20991 People prepare our dinner from their own self-interest, not from humanity [Smith,A]
4416 Basic justice is the negotiation of agreement among equals, and the imposition of agreement [Nietzsche]
4418 A masterful and violent person need have nothing to do with contracts [Nietzsche]
22470 A good moral system benefits its participants, and so demands reciprocity [Foot]
5317 The actor is most convincing who believes that his performance is real [Wilson,EO]
4123 A fair arrangement is one that parties can agree to without knowing how it will benefit them personally [Rawls, by Williams,B]
20281 Why should I do anything for posterity? What has posterity ever done for me? [Singer]
22717 Self-interest can fairly divide a cake; first person cuts, second person chooses [Poundstone]
4273 Kant's Moral Law is the rules rational beings would accept when trying to live by agreement [Scruton]
21038 Does consent create the obligation, or must there be some benefit? [Sandel]
21039 Moral contracts involve both consent and reciprocity; making the deal, and keeping it [Sandel]
21036 Not all deals are fair deals [Sandel]