Interesting... utilitarianism - and interesting that you don't capitalize it.

Are you at all familiar with Objectivism? It would seem to be the polar opposite of utilitarianism. It is also the philosophy I most closely espouse - though true Objectivists classify me as a "mystic" because of my Christianity. So among Objectivists, I'm a heretic of sorts.

As I've gone through life, the truth of Objectivism has been demonstrated to me time and again. In trying to keep others happy, all sorts of evils have been perpetrated on mankind, because mankind has a natural tendency toward misery and self-destruction. To take that to the extreme, then, the only hope to keep the most people happy possible is in taking over their lives for them - totalitarianism. That's what it leads to. The belief in doing whatever it takes to achieve a goal, even one so noble as the greatest happiness for the most people, is pragmatism - the end justifies the means.

So the polar opposite makes sense to me - the doctrine of Rational Selfishness. In doing the best I can for myself while respecting other's freedom to be miserable or whatever else they want, I end up in the best possible position to serve those around me... provided I make a choice to serve them.

It is ironic... in the name of protecting me and keeping me happy, legions lay claim to my liberty. In liberty and rational selfishness, I can serve God as I understand Him and to the greatest good - by MY definition of good.

I'll finish this with a quote from C.S. Lewis:

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.