I believe the answer to this question is “Because the rule maximizes one’s ethical values.”
(Without getting into the act versus rule argument, which figures into my post, where I am, to some extent, arguing against act utilitarianism on the grounds that it is too computationally expensive.)
Of course, that leads directly into the question, “Why should any particular person hold any particular ethical value?” I don’t believe this question has an answer that doesn’t lead directly into another ethical value, which is why I hold ethical values as axioms.
I believe the answer to this question is “Because the rule maximizes one’s ethical values.”
(Without getting into the act versus rule argument, which figures into my post, where I am, to some extent, arguing against act utilitarianism on the grounds that it is too computationally expensive.)
Of course, that leads directly into the question, “Why should any particular person hold any particular ethical value?” I don’t believe this question has an answer that doesn’t lead directly into another ethical value, which is why I hold ethical values as axioms.