The Principles of Ethics: In Two Volumes

10. General Conclusions

Ethics_V1_551-600.indd 35 1/16/12 9:25 AM CHAPTER 10 General Conclusions 241. The title of this division-"The Ethics of Individual Life"- has excited a publicly expressed curiosity respecting the possible nature of its contents. Nothing beyond prudential admonitions could, it was thought, be meant; and there was evident surprise that ethical sanction should be claimed for these. The state of mind thus implied is not, I believe, exceptional. Ordinary individual life, when it is such as not directly to affect others for good or evil, is supposed to lie outside the sphere of ethics; or rather, there is commonly entertained no thought about the matter. Ethics, as usually conceived, having made no formal claim to regulate this part of conduct is assumed to be unconcerned with it. It is true that now and then come expressions implying a half-conscious belief to the contrary. "Youought not to have overtaxed your strength by so great an exertion"; "you ought not to have gone so long without food"; are not unfrequent utterances. "You were quite right to throw up the situation if your health was giving way," is said to one; while on another is passed the criticism, "He is wrong in idling away his time, wealthy though he may be." And we occasionally hear insistence on the duty of taking a holiday to avoid an illness: especially in view of respon585 Ethics_V1_551-600.indd 36 1/16/12 9:25 AM 586 The Ethics of Individual Life sibilities to be discharged. That is to say, the words ought, right, wrong, duty are used in connection with various parts of private conduct; and such uses of these words, which in other cases have ethical significance, imply that they have ethical significance in these cases also. Moreover, as pointed out in the opening chapter, there are some modes of individual life concerning which ethical convictions of the most pronounced kinds prevail--excess in drinking, for example. Recognition of the immense evils entailed by this prompts strong reprobation. But there is no consciousness of the obvious truth that if, because of its mischievous consequences, this deviation from normal life is to be condemned; so, too, are all deviations which have mischievous consequences, however relatively small. It must be admitted that, conceived in its fully developed form, ethics has judgments to give upon all actions which affect individual welfare. Throughout the foregoing series of chapters, it has, I think, been made sufficiently manifest that there is great need for ethical rule over this wider territory. 242. Doubtless this rule must be of an indefinite kind-may be compared rather with that of a suzerain than with that of an acting governor. For throughout the greater part of this territory , there have to be effected compromises among various requirements; and in the majority of cases ethical considerations can do little more than guide us toward rational compromises . This will probably be regarded as a reversion to the ancient doctrine of the mean-a doctrine expressed in a manner generally vague, but occasionally distinct, by Confucius, and definitely elaborated by Aristotle. And it must be admitted that throughout most classes of actions which do not directly affect other persons, paths lying between extremes have to be sought and followed. The doctrine of the mean is not, as Aristotle admitted, universally applicable; and its inapplicability is conspicuous in respect of that part of conduct which Ethics_V1_551-600.indd 37 1/16/12 9:25 AM General Conclusions 587 stands above all others in importance-justice; not, indeed, justice as legally formulated, nor justice as it is conceived by communists and others such, but justice as deducible from the conditions which must be maintained for the carrying on of harmonious social cooperation. Ethics does not suggest partial fulfillment of a contract, as being the mean between nonfulfillment and complete fulfillment. It does not countenance moderate robbery of your neighbor, rather than the taking from him everything or the taking nothing. Nor does it dictate the assault of a fellow man as intermediate between murdering him and not touching him. Contrariwise, in respect of justice ethics insists on the extreme-enjoins complete fulfillment of a contract, absolute respect for property, entire desistance from personal injury. So likewise is it with veracity. The right does not lie between the two extremes of falsehood and truth: complete adherence to fact is required. And there are sundry...