Jesus Among The Utilitarians

By emre kaplan🔸 @ 2024-11-21T17:44 (+9)

This is a linkpost to https://theredstarts.wordpress.com/2016/02/21/jesus-among-the-utilitarians/

This blog post can be considered as an exposition on Mill's quote:

"In the golden rule of Jesus of Nazareth, we read the complete spirit of the ethics of utility. To do as one would be done by, and to love one's neighbour as oneself, constitute the ideal perfection of utilitarian morality.". 

Some here might enjoy reading it.

For my work in animal advocacy, I'm pretty interested in writings that explore the relationship between love and consequentialism. Please message me your recommendations if you have any. 

Matthew 22:36-40 (KJV)

 “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

“This is the first and great commandment.

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

So obviously if you are a religious person, and in particular if you are a Christian, the little bit of the Bible you see up there is kind of important. Important because it’s probably about as close as the book comes to telling you, in precise axiological form, not just what you ought to do, but what matters. The passage kind of signals its own importance, really: On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets, it says pithily, "wagging a finger at you."