“To do as one would be done by, and to love one's neighbour as oneself, constitute the ideal perfection of utilitarian morality.”

—  John Stuart Mill , book Utilitarianism

Source: Utilitarianism (1861), Ch. 2
Context: 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.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "To do as one would be done by, and to love one's neighbour as oneself, constitute the ideal perfection of utilitarian m…" by John Stuart Mill?
John Stuart Mill photo
John Stuart Mill 179
British philosopher and political economist 1806–1873

Related quotes

African Spir photo

“The first principle from which stems the moral of about all people at all time; it is summarized in this precept: Love thy neighbour as thyself, and: do as you would be done by.”

African Spir (1837–1890) Russian philosopher

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 38 ["… moral consciousness is an innate and intimate revelation of the absolute, which exceed every empirical data..." - see above].

Simone de Beauvoir photo

“To will oneself moral and to will oneself free are one and the same decision.”

Simone de Beauvoir book The Ethics of Ambiguity

Pt. III : The Positive Aspect of Ambiguity, Ch. 3 : Freedom and Liberation]
Variant: To will freedom and to will to disclose being are one and the same choice
Source: The Ethics of Ambiguity
Context: To will freedom and to will to disclose being are one and the same choice; hence, freedom takes a positive and constructive step which causes being to pass to existence in a movement which is constantly surpassed.

Theodore Kaczynski photo

“There are two kinds of morality—the kind of morality that one imposes on oneself and the kind of morality that one imposes on others.”

Theodore Kaczynski (1942) American domestic terrorist, mathematician and anarchist

For the first kind of morality, that is, for self-restraint, I have the greatest respect. The second kind of morality I do not respect except when it constitutes self-defense. (For example, when women say that rape and wife-beating are immoral, that is self-defense.) I have noticed that the people who try hardest to impose moral code on others (not in self-defense) are often the least careful to abide by that moral code themselves.
"Morality and Revolution"
The Road to Revolution (2008)

Charlotte Salomon photo

“…might possibly preserve her from suicide inasmuch as she remembered one of Amadeus's favorite utterances: Love, know thyself first in order to love thy neighbour. And then: one has to go into oneself - into one's childhood - to be able to go out of oneself. And he felt that the movie was the machine of modern man as a means of going out of oneself. And finally she recalled the famous couple embracing under a bathrobe, functioning as one person.”

Charlotte Salomon (1917–1943) German painter

Charlotte's 5th ending, written page in brush, related to no. 4923r https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004923/part/character/theme/keyword/M004923JHM: (554) 'Life? or Theater..', p. 819
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

Mahendra Chaudhry photo

“Christ’s message is universal: To do good, to care for the poor, to love one’s neighbour, to serve honestly and with integrity.”

Mahendra Chaudhry (1942) Fijian politician

Christmas message, 22 December 2005 (excerpts)

Thomas Paine photo

“Such arguments ill become us, since the time of reformation came, under Gospel light. All distinctions of nations, and privileges of one above others, are ceased; Christians are taught to account all men their neighbours; and love their neighbours as themselves; and do to all men as they would be done by; to do good to all men; and Man-stealing is ranked with enormous crimes. Is the barbarous enslaving our inoffensive neighbours, and treating them like wild beasts subdued by force, reconcilable with all these Divine precepts? Is this doing to them as we would desire they should do to us? If they could carry off and enslave some thousands of us, would we think it just?—One would almost wish they could for once; it might convince more than Reason, or the Bible.”

Thomas Paine (1737–1809) English and American political activist

1770s, African Slavery in America (March 1775)

Theodore Kaczynski photo

“There are two kinds of morality—the kind of morality that one imposes on oneself and the kind of morality that one imposes on others. For the first kind of morality, that is, for self-restraint, I have the greatest respect. The second kind of morality I do not respect except when it constitutes self-defense. (For example, when women say that rape and wife-beating are immoral, that is self-defense.) I have noticed that the people who try hardest to impose moral code on others (not in self-defense) are often the least careful to abide by that moral code themselves.”

Theodore Kaczynski (1942) American domestic terrorist, mathematician and anarchist

"Morality and Revolution"
The Road to Revolution (2008)

Philip K. Dick photo

“We do not have an ideal world, such as we would like, where morality is easy because cognition is easy. Where one can do right with no effort because he can detect the obvious.”

Philip K. Dick book The Man in the High Castle

Source: The Man in the High Castle (1962)

Jennifer Morrison photo

“We do all mistakes. No one's perfect. No one should be expected to be perfect, it's too much pressure and we would crumble. ”

Jennifer Morrison (1979) American actress, model, film producer
Jiddu Krishnamurti photo

“Because He is Love, you, if you would become one with Him, must be filled with perfect unselfishness and love also.”

Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895–1986) Indian spiritual philosopher

§ IV
1910s, At the Feet of the Master (1911)
Context: Of all the Qualifications, Love is the most important, for if it is strong enough in a man, it forces him to acquire all the rest, and all the rest without it would never be sufficient. Often it is translated as an intense desire for liberation from the round of births and deaths, and for union with God. But to put it in that way sounds selfish, and gives only part of the meaning. It is not so much desire as will, resolve, determination. To produce its result, this resolve must fill your whole nature, so as to leave no room for any other feeling. It is indeed the will to be one with God, not in order that you may escape from weariness and suffering, but in order that because of your deep love for Him you may act with Him and as He does. Because He is Love, you, if you would become one with Him, must be filled with perfect unselfishness and love also.
In daily life this means two things; first, that you shall be careful to do no hurt to any living thing; second, that you shall always be watching for an opportunity to help.
First, to do no hurt. Three sins there are which work more harm than all else in the world — gossip, cruelty, and superstition — because they are sins against love. Against these three the man who would fill his heart with the love of God must watch ceaselessly.

Related topics