Indeed there is a strong general cases, founded on the…
““Indeed there is a strong general cases, founded on the legitimacy of a considerable degree of egoism and self-referential altruism, and connected with what I have offered as the basic case for rights as the essential device for securing areas for the free pursuit of happiness, in favour of some private property. This is one point among many where our grounds for dissatisfaction with at least the cruder forms of utilitarianism have practical consequences. If we see the good for man as happiness, conceived as a single, undifferentiated commodity, we may also suppose that it could be provided for all, in some centrally planned way, if only we could get an authority that was sufficiently powerful and sufficiently intelligent, and also one that we could trust to be uniformly well-disposed to all its subjects; and then the natural corollary would be that all property should be owned by all in common, collectively, and applied to the maximizing of the genral happiness under the direction of this benevolent authority. But if we reject this unitary notion of happiness, and identify the good for man rather with the partly competitive pursuit of diverse ideals and private goals, then separate ownership of property will be an appropriate instrument for this pursuit.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Mackie argues that happiness cannot be treated as a single commodity managed by a central authority; instead, diverse personal goals require private property to flourish.
In simple terms: Happiness isn’t a one‑size‑fits‑all; private goals need private ownership.
Key Takeaway
Protect individual aspirations through private property.
Themes
rights
property
individualism
utilitarian critique
egoism
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- political theory
- economic policy
- education reform
- community planning
Key Concepts
ethical pluralism
libertarianism
social contract
Questions to Reflect On
- How does private ownership balance personal freedom and social equity?
- Can collective needs be met without compromising individual goals?
A Different Perspective
Assumes private property always leads to diverse ideals, ignoring inequality.