GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY 1938 - 1947.pdf - Rare Books at ...

THE SCOPE OP ETHICS 165
approved. Theories ofthe first type may be called objective*
intuitioniflt theories; of the second, subjective-intuitionitt
theories. Similarly with utilitarian theories. A right action,
says the utilitarian, is one which has the best consequences;
but "best" may be interpreted objectively, to mean that
what is "best" is what it is independently of any opinion
that any person or body of persons may entertain in regard
to mean
to it, or "best" may be interpreted subjectively
that what is " best " is " ' '
best only because and in so far as
people desire or approve of it. To say ofconsequences that
they are the "best" will mcarf, on this latter view, merely
that they have obtained more approval or gratified more
desires in all or most of a particular class of people than
the consequences which would have followed any alter-
native action that was open to the agent*
In the succeeding Chapters, I shall briefly outline some
of the representative theories in each of these four groups,
namely, objective-intuitionist, objective-utilitarian, subjective
utilitarian and named.
subjective-intuitionist in the order
A Preliminary Doubt. Before, however, I can embark
on the task of exposition, there is a preliminary doubt
to be disposed of, or rather, since it cannot be disposed of
at any rate in this book, to be acknowledged. There is a
point of view which insists that writing and discussion
about ethics is usually, if not always meaningless, and cannot,
therefore, be fruitful. If this point of view could be
successfully maintained, a great part of what follows would
not need to be written.
*
This point of view is in essence as follows. Our views
about ethical matters may be valid, but they are strictly
incommunicable, for, although we may know what is
right and good, we cannot define or give an account ofour
knowledge. The subject matter of ethics in fact is not to
be talked or written about; it is rather in die nature of an
experience, unique and incommunicable, to be enjoyed*