Sidgwick's The Methods of Ethics is discussed. Various concepts such as Utilitarianism and Egoist philosophies are included. Common sense is explored. This five page paper has one source listed in the bibliography.
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In doing so, Sidgwick finds that the morality of common sense is outlined by its adherence to certain principles of consensus in a society and which seem to be consistent
throughout history and societies. The morality of common sense is consistent with that of utilitarianism in that moral good is measured by the greatest good for the greatest number. Sidgwick
finds however that the utilitarianism argument fails against that of the egoist who finds that an action which brings each mans happiness is the basis for mans morality. In order
to "prove" his argument, the utilitarian imposes sanctions on the egoist which in a sense state that there are pleasures and pains which will be expected if an egoist acts
only in his own self interests. These sanctions however, do not offer "proof" for the egoist as for him, his own happiness is by definition only good, not only for
him but also from a universal perspective. Utilitarianism which is the premise that ones own actions are valued by the level of their
utility in that the moral rightness of the act is measured by the greatest good for the greatest number, a theory proposed by Bentham in the late 1700s, is contrary
to that of Egoism which is based on the premise that mans concern with his own good is the basis of mans morality. Sidgwick in his work "The Methods of
Ethics" further argues that the theories of utilitarianism fail when pitted against those of egoism. Sidgwick believes that the Egoist if he is true to his convictions and believe that
his own pleasure is the ultimate end will in no way have any reasoning to lead himself to believe that the happiness of others would supercede his own (Sidgwick, 1981).