Problems of Conduct: An Introductory Survey of EthicsDrake, Durant
Philosophy
Problems of Conduct: An Introductory Survey of Ethics
Drake, Durant
Ethics
of clear thought, the ability to use clearly and efficiently the language
by which the steps and conclusions of thought are formulated and
expressed. Thought proceeds, where it is precise and logical, by words;
unless a man's vocabulary is wide, unless his understanding of the
language is exact, his thoughts must inevitably be vague and muddled.
Moreover, he will be unable to transmit his thoughts clearly and
readily to others. The most important tool for the carrying on of life
is- language; the slovenliness and inadequacy of the average man's
speech is a sad commentary on our boasted educational system.
(3) Wide information and a trained mind must be supplemented by a SOUND
TASTE. To love excellence everywhere, to appreciate the good and the
beautiful in every phase of life, should be the third, and possibly
most important, aim of cultural education. It is, at least, the prime
function of art. Art informs us of life, its pursuit trains in
precision and judgment; but above all, it opens our eyes to beauty.
The man who is versed in the work of the masters can never after be
content with the ugliness and squalor that our industrial civilization
continually tends to increase. He has caught the vision of beauty,
and must strive to shape his environment toward that high ideal. The
artist sees what we had not learned to see; by isolating and perfecting
this bit of the ideal, he directs our attention to it and teaches us
to love it. No one can feel the spell of a landscape by Corot or Innes
without delighting more deeply in such scenes in the outdoor world;
no one can live long in the atmosphere of Greek art without longing
for such a body and such a poise of spirit. We are not accustomed to
look at nature, or at man, with observing eyes, to see the richness
of color in sun-kissed meadows or humming city streets, the infinite
variations of light and shade, the depth of distance, the charm of
line and composition. The picturesque is everywhere about us, undiscerned
and unloved. So us the marvelous varieties in human character and
circumstance, the humor and dignity and pathos of life. Literature
and art, by revealing to us unsuspected possibilities of beauty, breed
a healthy discontent with ugliness and urge us on to its banishment.
The ultimate aim of art should be to make life beautiful in every nook
and corner, to elevate the humdrum working days of common men by fair
and sunny surroundings, to make manners gentle and gracious, speech
melodious and refined, homes, pleasant and restful.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account