Hello everyone!

I'm new and I'm writing form Italy, I don't speak english very well so I beg you to forgive me and use a plain english to communicate with me (I'll remember it to you with my signature). I intend to use this forum not only because I'm interested in utilitarian ethics, but also for to learn your national language.

About the first point, I know utilitarianism for... maybe a couple of years, and I consider it a penetrating philosophy and (at the moment) the best moral doctrine. The best utilitarian sources, here on Internet, are obviously in english, so pardon me if I ignore some crucial concept or question about our interest-subject. I don't watch out especially for the Italy's social problems, so if they aren't important for the future discussions I beg you don't ask me. I don't consider me a true utilitarian, because I should deepen this philosophy and find solutions to many utilitarian matters (of them I found something like 18); also, on the whole, maybe I'm yet too nihilistic to love it enthusiastically.
My nickname derive from the surname of the italian and generally utilitarian philosopher Pietro (Peter) Verri.

About the second point, If I will not sustain a costant use of english, I'll ask the elimination of my account; for this, don't have usual expectations of me, I'll not answer you quickly or always.

See you, bye

I am really excited to have you here on our forum! I'm sure you will have a lot to add even if you do not speak perfect English. Why don't you consider yourself a true utilitarian? What parts of utilitarianism do you follow?

Also, would you like help with your English? You still say what you want just fine, but there are some minor grammar mistakes that could be corrected. I don't just want to correct you, however, as that could be seen as mean.

Thank you

Haha! don't worry about corrections, I would appreciate them. For a better translation I use a couple of official dictionary-websites (not Google Translation).

As I said, I recognize several problems of utilitarianism, whose the most important are (1) the permanent passage from egoism to altruism and (2) the negative utilitarianism as pessimistic philosophy of suicide or non-reproduction. So I take it with nippers, as we say.
I saw you dedicated some topic to a problem-list, I'll read it.

Hey Verrian! It's great to have you here!

Are you on facebook? We have a bunch of facebook groups where we also discuss utilitarian topics

Thank you!

Yeees, I'm on Facebook and I found your group, but I don't know if to join in it. Usually I don't use pages and groups on Fb.

Edit: Would you like brief me on recent conclusions of forum debate? I find the user Hedonic Treader's topic Goodbye quite interesting. Is there anyone else?

Cool! We have several groups on fb and there's lots of activity in them, here's a thread with our facebook addresses and groups! ! viewtopic.php?f=20&t=422

What did you find interesting about that debate Verrian? Hedonic Treader decided to stay in the end which is great! !!

Well, according to Hedonic Treader's record, utilitarianism can be at odds with the common-sense and even with itself. ...Of course the contrast with former enemy - so to say - can compromise a general assent on utilitarianism, but it can't compromise the utilitarianism's truth or validity; or, that the failed consensus of Common Sense compromise the social or political application or effectiveness of our philosophy, not other.

Moreover I share with Treader doubts about a... as I said, a permanent (or prevalent) acceptance of altruism. In these days I'm reading the Mill's fundamental work Utilitarianism translated in italian (I'm nearly in the end), but the third chapter didn't persuade me totally; also I know there are some traditional problems about the fourth.
Sometimes I think (maybe wrongly) that our philosophy should has a so much strong motive... to fall from a prescriptive system to a descriptive one.
My usual question is: is the Bentham's first principle (Intr., I, 2) an advice or rather an inevitable axiom of practice? I consider it an axiom, an explenation of the human nature. But generally I suspend the judgment, as I ignore many things. Maybe you'll advise me to read the second chapter of Bentham's masterpiece; I did it...
Well... it's a difficult matter, above all for a non-anglophone like me. If I was born in UK or in USA, or Canada or Australia, I wouldn't have these problems now, (I hope this conditional construction is correct); several times I blasphemed my nationality for this reason!

Hey Verrian!

Hm, maybe someone more versed in this than me will be able to answer