"Man does not strive after happiness; only the Englishman does." F. Nietzsche, "The Twilight of the Idols". Since its foundation by J. Bentham in the late 18th century and its further development by J.S. Mill, H. Sidgwick and several other philosophers, utilitarianism has been one of the most controversial moral theories. The theory's underlying idea is, that only such acts are right which produce and maximise happiness as their outcome, in other words, "... utility, …
showed first 75 words of 1822 total

showed last 75 words of 1822 total
…Journal of Philosophy", Vol. 73, 1976 B. Williams, Morality, Cambridge, CUP, 1972 B. Williams, "A Critique of Utilitarianism", in J.J.C. Smart and B. Williams Utilitarianism for and against, Cambridge, CUP, 1973 * The original quotation reads "Der Mensch strebt nicht nach Glück; nur der Engländer thut das." Friedrich Nietzsche, Götzendämmerung oder Wie man mit dem Hammer philosophirt, Leipzig, C.G.Naumann, 1889, p. 2