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Professor Sidgwick made a
distinction between non-interference rights
and welfare rights. Let me say clearly that
utilitarianism doesn't regard that as a
fundamental distinction. For utilitarianism the
goal of all moral rules is to maximize human
welfare. If welfare rights can do that, they
are perfectly acceptable.
I personally believe that
some combination of non-interference rights
and welfare rights can be justified by an
appeal to the principle of utility. I don't
see any special problem with welfare rights.
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