 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
There are in fact a number of ethical systems, which differ as to what I ought to do. One man may say: you ought to obey the will of God. Another may say: you ought to aim at the maximum of pleasure for mankind. Yet another may say: you ought to seek self-realization, or glory, or the victory of your country. But although all these people give different answers as to what I ought to do, they all attach the same, meaning to the word "ought", for, if they did not, their disagreement would be only as to words, and would have little practical importance. It is this common meaning underlying ethical disagreements that I am now concerned to examine.
Source: Bertrand Russell: Human Society in Ethics and Politics, (1954), chapter 5
More info.:https://russell-j.com/cool/47T-0602.htm