Are the poor people in Africa incapable of bettering their situation? If so, why? What is stopping them? What is stopping those who love them? If you care so much about their happiness, what is stopping you?
why should i care about their happiness? well im forced care if im a Utilitarian.
Well, as a utilitarian, I would expect you to act to increase global happiness as much as possible. So why aren't there more people out there helping those poor African kids?
I say again: If everyone maximized their, as arsenische puts it, "My Happiness," then the sum of those, "World Happiness" would also be maximized.
depends on how they maximize it, if they do it at the cost of others(with or without violating the NAP), the world might be less happy.
You still haven't explained how I can increase my happiness at the expense of another's happiness
without violating the NAP. One example would suffice.
also would you make your life better and a higher cost of someone else?
And how would I do that without violating the NAP? Violating the NAP would make me quite unhappy.
would you violate the NAP, if you knew that the world would be a better place if you did? (if you knew that a person would with absolutely certainty would become the next Hitler, and you are able to kill that person before he has aggressed, would you?)
Allow me to quote your signature: "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves and wiser people so full of doubts." -Bertrand Russell
Only a fool is "absolutely certain." I would wait until he aggressed. But if I were so sure he would, I'd keep a weather eye on him, and catch him in the act the very first time.
). it might be better to explain utilitarianism as: would you sacrifice your happiness if it maximizes a group's(or worlds) happiness.