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

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

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ETHICAL <strong>THE</strong>ORY SURVEYED<br />

we have forgotten the reasons, the non-ethical reasons,<br />

which lie <strong>at</strong> the basis of and justify our feelings of oblig<strong>at</strong>ion<br />

and approval. Mill's tre<strong>at</strong>ment of virtue is a good<br />

example of this mode of reasoning 1 . The conclusion is th<strong>at</strong><br />

line of thought is not capable of direct disproof; two<br />

consider<strong>at</strong>ions may, however, be mentioned.<br />

V<br />

Objections to Resolution of Ethical Sentiments into<br />

Non-Ethical Factors. (i) The first was developed <strong>at</strong><br />

some length in the discussion in a previous chapter of<br />

the various meanings of the expression "the n<strong>at</strong>ure of<br />

a thing. 1 The conclusion of th<strong>at</strong> discussion was briefly<br />

th<strong>at</strong> there is more in a growing or developing thing than<br />

is to be found in its origins and th<strong>at</strong> to give a full account<br />

of it we must, therefore, take into consider<strong>at</strong>ion its fruits<br />

as well as its roots. A thing, in short, is <strong>at</strong> any given moment<br />

of its development more than the sum total of the factors<br />

th<strong>at</strong> produced it. If it were not, it would not be a developing<br />

thing.<br />

Wh<strong>at</strong> is the applic<strong>at</strong>ion to ethics? Let us suppose th<strong>at</strong><br />

it could be successfully demonstr<strong>at</strong>ed th<strong>at</strong> our feelings<br />

in regard to duty and our respect for goodness are sentiments<br />

whose origin may be traced to non-ethical consider<strong>at</strong>ions<br />

of expediency and pleasantness. Th<strong>at</strong> does not<br />

prove th<strong>at</strong> there is no more in these sentiments than<br />

expediency and pleasantness now. There is no evidence<br />

for the implied assumption th<strong>at</strong> the m<strong>at</strong>ure st<strong>at</strong>e of a<br />

developing thing contains no more than its origins and is,<br />

therefore, exhaustively analysable into its origins.<br />

(tt) But can we make the supposition? Can we, th<strong>at</strong> is<br />

to say, countenance the assumption th<strong>at</strong> our feelings<br />

in regard to duty and our respect for goodness do derive<br />

from non-ethical consider<strong>at</strong>ions; th<strong>at</strong>, in other words, out<br />

of purely non-ethical elements we can obtain ethical<br />

compounds. The question <strong>at</strong> issue is analagous to such<br />

questions as, can we from a combin<strong>at</strong>ion of non-coloured<br />

<strong>at</strong>oms and electrons obtain coloured objects? Questions of<br />

1 See Chapter IX, pp. 338, 339- See Chapter I, pp. 30-34.

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