Problems of Conduct: An Introductory Survey of EthicsDrake, Durant
Philosophy
Problems of Conduct: An Introductory Survey of Ethics
Drake, Durant
Ethics
of some practical truth, as, the wisdom of acquiescence, and the futility
of preoccupation with evil. But taken seriously and literally such
statements are simply untrue to the facts and blur our fundamental
perceptions. If actually accredited, either would lead to quiescence;
if everything were equally good or evil all striving would be
meaningless, one might as well jump from a housetop or walk into the
fire. But as a matter of fact such mystical assertions are indulged
in only in the inactive moments of life, and mean no more than a lyric
poem or a burst of music. Every one in his practical moments
acknowledges tacitly, at least, the difference between the intrinsic
goodness and badness of experiences. A life of even delight or even
wretchedness, or of colorless indifference, is not inconceivable, but
it is not the lot of any actual human beings.
The larger quarrel between optimists and pessimists need not, for our
purposes, be settled. Life may be a very good thing, on the whole,
or a very bad thing. The only point we need to note is that it is at
any rate a varying thing. Some experiences are more worth having than
others. Moral theory needs no further admission to find its foothold.
Nor do we need to discuss the problem of evil. It may be that all pain
has its ultimate uses that nothing is "really" bad, if we take that
to mean that all evil has a necessary existence as a means to a good
otherwise unattainable and worth the cost. But however useful as a
means evil may be, it is nonetheless evil and regrettable. It is not
good qua pain. If the same amount of good could be obtained without
the preliminary evil, it were better to skip it. In short, the existence
of different values in immediate experience is indisputable; we may
call them for convenience intrinsic goodness and badness.
What is extrinsic goodness?
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