The Scientific Basis of Morals, and Other Essays: Viz.: Right and Wrong, The Ethics of Belief, The Ethics of Religion — John Shaqi
The Scientific Basis of Morals, and Other Essays: Viz.: Right and Wrong, The Ethics of Belief, The Ethics of ReligionClifford, William Kingdon
Philosophy
The Scientific Basis of Morals, and Other Essays: Viz.: Right and Wrong, The Ethics of Belief, The Ethics of Religion
Clifford, William Kingdon
Ethics
The word purpose has here been used in a sense to which it is perhaps
worth while to call attention. Adaptation of means to an end may
be produced in two ways that we at present know of; by processes of
natural selection, and by the agency of an intelligence in which an
image or idea of the end preceded the use of the means. In both cases
the existence of the adaptation is accounted for by the necessity or
utility of the end. It seems to me convenient to use the word purpose
as meaning generally the end to which certain means are adapted, both
in these two cases, and in any other that may hereafter become known,
provided only that the adaptation is accounted for by the necessity
or utility of the end. And there seems no objection to the use of
the phrase 'final cause' in this wider sense, if it is to be kept
at all. The word 'design' might then be kept for the special case
of adaptation by an intelligence. And we may then say that since the
process of natural selection has been understood, purpose has ceased
to suggest design to instructed people, except in cases where the
agency of man is independently probable.
When a man can be punished for doing wrong with approval of the
tribal self, he is said to be responsible. Responsibility implies
two things:--(1) The act was a product of the man's character and
of the circumstances, and his character may to a certain extent be
inferred from the act; (2) The man had a conscience which might have
been so worked upon as to prevent his doing the act. Unless the first
condition be fulfilled, we cannot reasonably take any action at all
in regard to the man, but only in regard to the offense. In the case
of crimes of violence, for example, we might carry a six-shooter to
protect ourselves against similar possibilities, but unless the fact
of a man's having once committed a murder made it probable that he
would do the like again, it would clearly be absurd and unreasonable to
lynch the man. That is to say, we assume an uniformity of connection
between character and actions, infer a man's character from his past
actions, and endeavor to provide against his future actions either by
destroying him or by changing his character. I think it will be found
that in all those cases where we not only deal with the offense but
treat it with moral reprobation, we imply the existence of a conscience
which might have been worked upon to improve the character. Why, for
example, do we not regard a lunatic as responsible? Because we are in
possession of information about his character derived not only from
his one offense but from other facts, whereby we know that even if he
had a conscience left, his mind is so diseased that it is impossible
by moral reprobation alone to change his character so that it may be
subsequently relied upon. With his cure from disease and the restored
validity of this condition, responsibility returns. There are, of
course, cases in which an irresponsible person is punished as if he
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