--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The creed which accepts as the foundation…" description: "\"“The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest-Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e4/john-stuart-mill-477_character_the-creed-which-accepts-as-the-foundatio_904728.jpg" --- # The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals… ![“The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest-Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by…” quote by John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e4/john-stuart-mill-477_character_the-creed-which-accepts-as-the-foundatio_904728.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e4/john-stuart-mill-477_character_the-creed-which-accepts-as-the-foundatio_904728.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e4/john-stuart-mill-477_character_the-creed-which-accepts-as-the-foundatio_904728.jpg) > ““The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest-Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure.”” [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The principle says actions are moral if they increase overall happiness and reduce suffering, measuring right and wrong by their consequences for pleasure and pain. **In simple terms:** Moral rightness depends on promoting happiness and avoiding pain. Key Takeaway Seek to maximize collective well‑being. Themes ethics consequentialism happiness morality Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical ethical reflective When to use this quote - policy making - business decisions - personal choices - public health - environmental regulation Key Concepts utilitarianism greatest happiness principle pleasure principle Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance individual happiness with societal welfare? - When might reducing pain conflict with justice? A Different Perspective It can overlook minority rights or long‑term harms for short‑term pleasure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Creed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creed/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Moral philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-philosophy/) [Morals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morals/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Utilitarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utilitarianism/) ## Related quotes > [“It is a strange notion that the acknowledgment of a first principle is inconsistent with the admission of secondary ones. 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