ABSTRACT
There has been from the beginning of moral philosophy a persistent sceptical thesis which worried Plato, Hobbes, Butler, Kant and many others; in fact one could almost say that no one can really be a moral philosopher if he has not at some time been tempted by the thesis. The analogy with factual beliefs, which the author have relied on at several points before, will not help here. The function of morality is primarily to counteract limitation of men’s sympathies. If morality is to win out over self-interest, the people shall have to show that, although morality is in conflict with self-interest, in that it does involve certain sacrifices, it is not in conflict with ultimate self-interest. It does pay to be moral, and a true concept of morality is the key to where one’s true self-interest lies.
