A Review of the Systems of Ethics Founded on the Theory of EvolutionWilliams, Cora May
Philosophy
A Review of the Systems of Ethics Founded on the Theory of Evolution
Williams, Cora May
Ethics, Evolutionary
Dr. Paul Ree's "Source of the Moral Feelings" ("Ursprung der moralischen
Empfindungen," 1877), is written from a pessimistic and mechanical
standpoint. The connection of thought and feeling in the region of
morals is, according to Ree, a purely, or very nearly a purely, outward
one, moral judgments not being the result of sympathy or antipathy, or
related to these feelings in more than an external manner, but arising
from associations of ideas engendered by education; the Sense of Justice
being, in this manner, the effect of Punishment. A definite distinction
is likewise made by Ree, between vice, which affects the individual
only, and badness, which affects society, the profligate who satisfies
his lust in the most unrestrained manner being regarded as perhaps
unwise, but not bad, as long as he does not seduce the pure. The author
fails, however, to show us how vice can be practised without social
injury, and necessarily fails also--since his position takes into
account no organic relations of characteristics--to notice the
significance of profligacy as an inherent feature of character. He
touches at one or two points, only, on Habit, and at one point alone on
Heredity, where he raises the question of the hereditary character of
Vanity, but arrives at no conclusion. He also makes the division of
Egoism from Non-egoism a definite one, fully identifying the Good with
the Non-egoistic, the Bad with the Egoistic. The Non-egoistic really
exists; a man may relieve another's suffering in order to free himself
from the sight of it; or he may relieve it for the other's sake.
Nevertheless, non-egoistic action is rare; men are much more egoistic
than the apes, who are rivals only with regard to food and sexual
desire, while men are rivals not only with respect to these primitive
wants, but with respect to many others besides, especially since they
not only regard the present but provide for the future also.
Vanity, according to Ree, gives rise to envy, hatred, and malignity.
But, the action of these passions being opposed to the safety of
society, some persons[83] introduced punishment for its protection, and
fear of punishment, and exchange of labor united men in peace. Deeds and
never motives were at first considered in the infliction of punishment,
but, outer compulsion not securing safety, the ideal of an inner
condition of character which should secure it arose. "Good" and "useful"
are synonyms, but men of later generations, receiving laws without
explanation of their origin, fail to understand that the Good was, in
its origin, simply the Useful, that the Bad was, in like manner, the
Harmful, and that Punishment is for the purpose of prevention and not in
the nature of a return for things done. The knowledge of this truth
takes from life some of its grandeur; but the truth remains the truth,
nevertheless.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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