ABSTRACT
H o w good is the abstract argument? Does it show that men will come into conflict if left to pursue felicity unhindered? It is tempting to dismiss the argument as uncompelling, on the ground that it leans heavily on uncompelling egoistic assumptions. But in fact the argument does not assume that strong selfish drives are part of the human make-up, and it does not have to assume as much in order to connect war in the required way with the pursuit of felicity.
