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Single Idea 6697

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / E. Utilitarianism / 5. Rule Utilitarianism ]

Full Idea

Moral rules which forbid mankind to hurt one another are more vital to human well-being than any maxims about some department of human affairs; ..though in particular cases a social duty is so important, as to overrule any general maxim of justice.

Gist of Idea

Moral rules protecting human welfare are more vital than local maxims

Source

John Stuart Mill (Utilitarianism [1861]), quoted by Gordon Graham - Eight Theories of Ethics Ch.7

Book Ref

Graham,Gordon: 'Eight Theories of Ethics' [Routledge 2004], p.136

A Reaction

The qualification is realistic, but raises the question of whether an 'act' calculation will always overrule any 'rule'. Maybe rule utilitirianism is just act utilitarianism, but ensuring that the calculations are long-term and extensive. (1871 edn)

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]