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
Thus, those ethical systems which make virtue, right, obligation, the
cardinal aims, are seen to be complementary to those ethical systems
which make welfare, happiness, pleasure, the cardinal aims.
Spencer follows up this argument with a chapter on the relativity of
pleasures and pains, and then proceeds with an argument against
excessive altruism as, in the end, selfish, since it is destructive to
the power for work and to individual life, diminishes the vigor of
offspring, and finally results in the survival of the less altruistic as
the fittest; this chapter is under the heading "Egoism versus Altruism."
It is followed by a chapter on Altruism versus Egoism, in which is shown
that some individual self-sacrifice, at least to offspring, is found far
down in the scale of being; that altruism is, therefore, "no less
primordial than self-preservation,"[47] and hence no less imperative;
that this altruism, at first unconscious, becomes, in higher stages of
evolution, conscious; and that if often selfish in motive, it may be
without any element of conscious self-regard, although it conduces
greatly to egoistic satisfaction. Indeed, pure egoism defeats itself,
since pleasure palls by over-indulgence, is dulled by maturity, and
almost destroyed by old age. He that can find pleasure in ministering to
that of others has, however, a source of pleasure which may serve in
place of personal pleasure. In the associated state, a certain altruism
is, and must necessarily be, an advantage to each member of the
community. Whatever conduces to the well-being of each is conducive to
the well-being of all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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