Butinthusstatingtheproblemweareassumingthatthelattertermofthiscomparisoncanbesatisfactorilydefinedandsufficientlydeveloped；thatwecanframewithadequateprecisionasystemofrules，constitutingthetruemoralcodeforhumanbeingsasdeducedfromUtilitarianprinciples。Andthisseemstohavebeencommonlyassumedbytheschoolwhosemethodwearenowexamining。Butwhenwesetourselvesinearnesttotheconstructionofsuchasystem，wefinditbesetwithseriousdifficulties。For，passingovertheuncertaintiesinvolvedinhedonisticcomparisongenerally，letussupposethatthequantumofhappinessthatwillresultfromtheestablishmentofanyplanofbehaviouramonghumanbeingscanbeascertainedwithsufficientexactnessforpracticalpurposesevenwhentheplanisasyetconstructedinimaginationalone。
Itstillhastobeasked，Whatisthenatureofthehumanbeingforwhomwearetoconstructthishypotheticalschemeofconduct？Forhumanityisnotsomethingthatexhibitsthesamepropertiesalwaysandeverywhere:
whetherweconsidertheintellectofmanorhisfeelings，orhisphysicalconditionandcircumstances，wefindthemsodifferentindifferentagesandcountries，thatitseemsprimafacieabsurdtolaydownasetofidealUtilitarianrulesformankindgenerally。Itmaybesaidthatthesedifferencesafterallrelatechieflytodetails；andthatthereisinanycasesufficientuniformityinthenatureandcircumstancesofhumanlifealwaysandeverywheretorenderpossibleanoutlineschemeofidealbehaviourformankindatlarge，Butitmustbeanswered，thatitiswithdetailsthatwearenowprincipallyconcerned；forthepreviousdiscussionhassufficientlyshownthattheconductapprovedbyCommonSensehasageneralresemblancetothatwhichUtilitarianismwouldprescribe；butwewishtoascertainmoreexactlyhowfartheresemblanceextends，andwithwhatdelicacyandprecisionthecurrentmoralrulesareadaptedtotheactualneedsandconditionsofhumanlife。
Suppose，then，thatwecontractthescopeofinvestigation，andonlyendeavourtoascertaintherulesappropriatetomenasweknowthem，inourownageandcountry。Weareimmediatelymetwithadilemma:
themenwhomweknowarebeingswhoacceptmoreorlessdefinitelyacertainmoralcodeifwetakethemastheyareinthisrespect，wecanhardlyatthesametimeconceivethemasbeingsforwhomacodeisyettobeconstructeddenovo:if，ontheotherhand，wetakeanactualman——letussay，anaverageEnglishman——andabstracthismorality，whatremainsisanentitysopurelyhypothetical，thatitisnotclearwhatpracticalpurposecanbeservedbyconstructingasystemofmoralrulesforthecommunityofsuchbeings。Couldweindeedassumethatthescientificdeductionofsuchasystemwouldensureitsgeneralacceptance；couldwereasonablyexpecttoconvertallmankindatoncetoUtilitarianprinciples，orevenalleducatedandreflectivemankind，。sothatallpreachersandteachersshouldtakeuniversalhappinessasthegoaloftheireffortsasunquestioninglyasphysicianstakethehealthoftheindividualbody；andcouldwebesurethatmen’smoralhabitsandsentimentswouldadjustthemselvesatonceandwithoutanywasteofforcetothesechangedrules，thenperhapsinframingtheUtilitariancodewemightfairlyleaveexistingmoralityoutofaccount。ButIcannotthinkthatwearewarrantedinmakingthesesuppositions；