Social Rights And Duties: Addresses to Ethical Societies. Vol 1 [of 2]Stephen, Leslie
Philosophy
Social Rights And Duties: Addresses to Ethical Societies. Vol 1 [of 2]
Stephen, Leslie
Ethics, Evolutionary; Social ethics
himself, and if the reward is simply such a position as may enable him
to be most useful to society, the competition which results will be
bracing and invigorating, and will appeal to no such motives as can be
called, in the bad sense, selfish. He is discharging a function which
is useful, it is true, to himself; but which is also intrinsically
useful to the whole society. The same principle applies, again, to
intellectual activity in general. All genuine thought is essentially
useful to mankind. In the struggle to discover truth, even our
antagonists are, necessarily, our co-operators. A philosopher, as a man
of science, owes, at least, as much to those who differ from him, as to
those who agree with him. The conflict of many minds, from many sides,
is the essential condition of intellectual progress. Now, if a man
plays his part manfully and honourably in such a struggle, he deserves
our gratitude, even if he takes the wrong side. If he looks forward to
the recognition by the best judges as one motive for his activity, I
think that he is asking for a worthy reward. He deserves blame, only so
far as his motives have a mixture of unworthy personal sentiment.
Obviously, if he aims at cheap fame, at making a temporary sensation
instead of a permanent impression, at flattering prejudices instead of
spreading truth; or, if he shows greediness of notoriety, by trying to
get unjust credit, as we sometimes see scientific people squabbling
over claims to the first promulgation of some trifling discovery, he is
showing paltriness of spirit. The men whom we revere are those who,
like Faraday or Darwin, devoted themselves exclusively to the
advancement of knowledge, and would have scorned a reputation won by
anything but genuine work. The fact that there is a competition in such
matters implies, no doubt, a temptation,--the temptation to set a
higher value upon praise than upon praiseworthiness; but I think it not
only possible that the competitors in such rivalries may keep to the
honourable path, but probable that, as a matter of fact, they
frequently,--I hope that I may say generally,--do so. If the fame at
which a man aims be not that which "in broad rumour lies," but that
which "lives and spreads aloft in those pure eyes and perfect witness
of all-judging Jove," then I think that the desire for it is scarcely
to be called a last infirmity--rather, it is an inseparable quality of
noble minds. We wish to honour men who have been good soldiers in that
warfare, and we can hardly wish them to be indifferent to our homage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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