Character Quote by Bart Schultz
““Described in this way, utilitarianism has little in common with the prosaic, visionless notion of the 'merely utilitarian,' in the sense of a narrowly or mundanely functional or efficient option. No such limited horizon confined the thought and character of the great English-language utilitarian philosophers, whose influence ran its course from the period just before the French Revolution through the Victorian era. Happiness, for them, was more of a cosmic calling, the path to world progress, and whatever was deemed 'utilitarian' had to be useful for that larger and inspiring end, the global minimization of pointless suffering and the global maximization of positive well-being or happiness. It invokes, ultimately, the point of view of universal benevolence. And it is more accurately charged with being too demanding ethically than with being too accommodating of narrow practicality, material interests, self-interestedness, and the like.””
About This Quote
Great utilitarian philosophers saw happiness as a universal mission, not just narrow efficiency, demanding ethical ambition over practicality.
In simple terms: Utilitarianism aims for global well‑being, not limited usefulness.
Pursue ethical goals that benefit humanity broadly.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- public policy
- philanthropy
- education reform
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What ethical challenges arise when scaling happiness globally?
- How can we balance practicality with moral ambition?
Focusing solely on efficiency can ignore deeper moral responsibilities.