The origin and development of the moral ideas — John Shaqi
The origin and development of the moral ideasWestermarck, Edward
Philosophy
The origin and development of the moral ideas
Westermarck, Edward
Ethics; Ethics -- History; Prehistoric peoples
[Footnote 11: Clarke, _Discourse concerning the Unchangeable
Obligations of Natural Religion_, p. 179.]
The influence of intellectual considerations upon moral judgments is
certainly immense. We shall find that the evolution of the moral
consciousness to a large extent consists in its development from the
unreflecting to the reflecting, from the unenlightened to the
enlightened. All higher emotions are determined by cognitions, they
arise {11} from "the presentation of determinate objective
conditions";[12] and moral enlightenment implies a true and
comprehensive presentation of those objective conditions by which the
moral emotions, according to their very nature, are determined.
Morality may thus in a much higher degree than, for instance, beauty
be a subject of instruction and of profitable discussion, in which
persuasion is carried by the representation of existing data. But
although in this way many differences may be accorded, there are
points in which unanimity cannot be reached even by the most accurate
presentation of facts or the subtlest process of reasoning.
[Footnote 12: Marshall, _Pain_, _Pleasure_, _and Aesthetics_, p. 83.]
Whilst certain phenomena will almost of necessity arouse similar moral
emotions in every mind which perceives them clearly, there are others
with which the case is different. The emotional constitution of man
does not present the same uniformity as the human intellect. Certain
cognitions inspire fear in nearly every breast; but there are brave
men and cowards in the world, independently of the accuracy with which
they realise impending danger. Some cases of suffering can hardly fail
to awaken compassion in the most pitiless heart; but the sympathetic
dispositions of men vary greatly, both in regard to the beings with
whose sufferings they are ready to sympathise, and with reference to
the intensity of the emotion. The same holds good for the moral
emotions. The existing diversity of opinion as to the rights of
different classes of men and of the lower animals, which springs from
emotional differences, may no doubt be modified by a clearer insight
into certain facts, but no perfect agreement can be expected as long
as the conditions under which the emotional dispositions are formed
remain unchanged. Whilst an enlightened mind _must_ recognise the
complete or relative irresponsibility of an animal, a child, or a
madman, and _must_ be influenced in its moral judgment by the motives
of an act--no intellectual enlightenment, no scrutiny of facts, can
decide how far the interests of the {12} lower animals should be
regarded when conflicting with those of men, or how far a person is
bound, or allowed, to promote the welfare of his nation, or his own
welfare, at the cost of that of other nations or other individuals.
Professor Sidgwick's well-known moral axiom, "I ought not to prefer my
own lesser good to the greater good of another,"[13] would, if
explained to a Fuegian or a Hottentot, be regarded by him, not as
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