ABSTRACT
In The Fables of the Bees (1714), Mandeville foregrounds Hobbes’ philosophy but argues that vices can lead to public benefits. The vain, amorous, and ambitious are interesting because they yearn for action and social recognition. Dr Johnson is fascinated by Mandeville’s ideas but ultimately problematizes this view. In Mansfield Park, Austen postulates that vices can be good as long as humans observe the golden rule of quid pro quo. Pure vices, however, bring instability in social relations. I argue that Fanny’s niceness is not a moral symptom but a successful strategy. She is deemed valuable because she can induce cooperation among a group of egoists. Austen sees to it that it is the nicest rather than the fittest who have better staying power.
