I generally avoid those internet quizzes that claim to analyse you through a few questions. (What Simpsons' character are you!?! What flavour ice cream are you!?!) But this philosophers quiz I found over at Heart of Canada is pretty intriguing. It asks a number of interesting moral questions and matches you to the philosopher your worldview most resembles. It turns out me and John Stuart Mill would have little to argue about because we matched 100%. Mill claims:

• The Utilitarian principle is correct when the quality of pleasures is accounted for.
• Liberty is the most important pleasure.

Okay, but what's the Utilitarian principle? Well, it

holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain and the privation of pleasure.

Hmm, that sounds about right. I believe that being a moral person involves working toward a better world -- a world in which more people enjoy comfort, happiness, and freedom. These things may not be able to be quantitatively measured, but using that guideline helps make difficult choices. Of course one's individual comfort, happiness, and freedom are most easily changed and so should be focused on, but not at any cost. Sometimes the needs and priorities of others must come first. The difficulty lies in determining where that boundary is. One of the questions in the quiz I found most interesting was whether I felt ends, means, or intent were most important in making a moral decision. I've never really thought about it before, but I chose means, which surprised me.

So take the test and see which kind of philosopher you are. And hey -- the comments to my posts have been silent for so long I'm starting to wonder if there's anyone out there. Drop a note and tell me what strange moral code you follow. Come on, you lurkers! If I get enough responses I'll ... I'll draw one name at random and send them a really great prize. Yeah! Or maybe just a mediocre prize. But think about the bragging rights...