Outlines of a Critical Theory of EthicsDewey, John
Philosophy
Outlines of a Critical Theory of Ethics
Dewey, John
Ethics
3. The real object of desire is activity itself. The will takes its
rise, as we have seen, in impulse; in the reaching for something to
satisfy some felt lack. Now, in reality, desire adds nothing to
impulse excepting _consciousness_ of the impulse. Volitional action
does not differ from impulsive or instinctive, _except in bringing to
consciousness the nature of the want and of the activity necessary to
satisfy it_. But this makes just the difference between 'natural' or
animal activity, and 'moral' or human activity. To be conscious of the
impulse is to elevate it from a blind impelling force to an intended or
proposed end; and thus, by bringing it _before_ consciousness, both to
extend its range and to idealize it, spiritualize it. To be conscious
of an impulse for food means to give up the unreasoned and momentary
seizing of it; to consider the relation of things to this want, what
will satisfy it best, most easily, etc. The _object_ of desire is not
something outside the action; it is an element in the enlarged action.
And as we become more and more conscious of impulse for food, we
analyze our action into more and more 'objects' of desire, but these
objects never become anything apart from the action itself. They are
simply its analyzed and defined content. Man wants activity still, but
he knows better what activity means and includes.
Thus, when we learn what the activity means, it changes its character.
To the animal the activity wanted is simply that of eating the food,
of realizing the momentary impulse. To man the activity becomes
enlarged to include the satisfaction of a whole life, and not of one
life singly, but of the family, etc., connected with the single life.
The material well-being of the family becomes one of the objects of
desire into which the original impulse has grown. But we misinterpret,
when we conceive of this well-being as an external object lying outside
the action. It means simply one aspect of the fuller action. By like
growing consciousness of the meaning of the impulse, production and
exchange of commodities are organized. The impulse for food is extended
to include a whole range of commercial activities.
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