Outlines of a Critical Theory of Ethics — John Shaqi
Outlines of a Critical Theory of EthicsDewey, John
Philosophy
Outlines of a Critical Theory of Ethics
Dewey, John
Ethics
Mr. Spencer expressly recognizes that there exists (1) an ideal code of
conduct, formulating the conduct of the completely adapted man in the
completely evolved society. Such a code is called absolute ethics as
distinguished from relative ethics--a code the injunctions of which
are alone to be considered "as absolutely right, in contrast with those
that are relatively right or least wrong, and which, as a system of
ideal conduct, is to serve as a standard for our guidance in solving,
as well as we can, the problems of real conduct" (p. 275 of the Data of
Ethics). "The ideal code deals, it will be observed, with the behavior
of the completely adapted man in a completely evolved society." This
ideal as elsewhere stated, is "an ideal social being so constituted
that his spontaneous activities are congruous with the conditions
imposed by the social environment formed by other such beings.... The
ultimate man is one in whom there is a correspondence between all
the promptings of his nature and all the requirements of his life as
carried on in society" (p. 275). Furthermore, "to make the ideal man
serve as a standard, he has to be defined _in terms of the conditions
which his nature fulfill_--in terms of the objective requisites which
must be met before conduct can be right" (p. 179). "Hence it is
manifest that we must consider the ideal man as existing in the ideal
social state" (p. 280).
Here we have in the most express terms the recognition of a final and
permanent standard with reference to which the nature of happiness is
determined, and the standard is one of social relationships. To be
sure it is claimed that the standard is one which results in greatest
happiness, but every ethical theory has always claimed that the ideal
moral condition would be accompanied by the maximum possible happiness.
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