西季威克的功利主义

Sidgwick’s utilitarianism

西季威克是古典功利主义最后一个重要的功利主义伦理学家,西季威克的功利主义思想因其独特性而有意义与价值。首先,西季威克第一个发现了边沁、密尔形态的功利主义在其基本思想内部的深刻矛盾,即主张自我快乐幸福为目标的自我主义与主张"最大多数最大幸福"的功利主义最高目标之间的矛盾,因而在西季威克的功利主义理念中,他把自我主义排除在功利主义的理念之外而单独称之为一种自我主义的伦理观;其次,他在最大多数的最大幸福意义上来专门讨论功利主义,同时他的理论也揭示了从前者过渡到后者的困难,而要解决这样的困难,他所诉诸的是直觉或直觉主义。直觉主义是他的伦理学基本方法。在提倡直觉主义这一方面,他直接继承了哈奇逊、巴特勒等人的道德直觉论,同时又直接开启了以摩尔为代表的现代直觉主义伦理学。

Sidgwick is remembered for his forthright ethical theory and considered as the last important utilitarian ethicist of classical utilitarianism.He is the first who discovers the apparent conflict between Bentham’s and Mill’s utilitarianism,i.e.,that between the pleasure of self and pleasure of others,or"the greatest happiness of the greatest majority".Therefore,he excludes egoism from utilitarianism.Besides,he discusses utilitarianism in the sense of the greatest happiness of the greatest majority.At the same time,his theory also reveals the difficulties in the transition from the former to the latter.To solve it,he appeals to intuition or intuitionism.When promoting intuitionism,he carries forward the thought of Hutchison and Butler,and starts modern intuitionism ethics represented by Moore.