ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses why most of us are basically good: both our human nature and our reasoning minds lead us to restrain our selfish impulses and take account of others. But there is still a seemingly fundamental conflict, between serving the self and serving others, that has perennially dogged our quest to live good lives. To the beneficiary of a good turn it makes no difference whether the motivation was sincere generosity or a masqueraded egoism. Many hold that a good life is one that makes the world better. Utilitarianism's watchword was "the greatest good for the greatest number." Immanuel Kant argued that it can be wrong to achieve this if, say, killing innocent persons is required. This raises the ancient issue of whether ends can justify means. But this moral problem does not negate the general utilitarian concept that actions promoting human welfare are good and actions undermining it are bad.
