[mrgold]

Once I admit that in a general moral sense every humans welfare is as important as mine there is no alternative but to accept utilitarian ethic (I am further assuming that the respect for moral principles is not important outside of the promotion of human welfare). By this I mean that the world in which the most people have the most of what they value is automaticaly the better world.

I dont nessecaraily consider this to be the same idea as "the individual is subject to society". I would not nessecaraily have an objection to a state that infringed on its members rights for the greater good. But I beleive that in addition to being considered normatively good by many memeber of society, individual rights tend to be nessecary for the proper function of the rule of law and a market economy, things which in turn contribute tremendoulsy to the greataer good.