The Relation Between Ethics and Religion: An Address at the Opening of the Session 1881-2 of Manchester New College, London (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

Excerpt from The Relation Between Ethics and Religion: An Address at the Opening of the Session 1881-2 of Manchester New College, London

Hence it follows that the relation, as ethically regarded, includes, besides the adjustment of external action, an indispensable concomitant of internal thought or feeling: for it is just here, i. E. In the absence of preferential con sent or intention, that the animal obedience is defective. To say that personal relations are essentially mental rela tions, is to say that the essential business of Ethics is with the inner springs of action.

Once more: our definition presupposes that the personal relations may be made better or worse by our will. If I am master of no such alternative, if at each moment only one thing is possible to me, or if, out of two, neither is better than the other, I am the subject simply of natural law, not of moral. Differences of tendency may still be the object of scientific investigation, like differences of stature or digestion: but there is nothing to distinguish the study of what ought to be from the study of what is; and Ethics pluck up their fence and surrender their field to psychology, - unless indeed the biologist, who has long been squatting there, has already got too firm a hold.

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This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Relation Between Ethics and Religion: An Address at the Opening of the Session 1881-2 of Manchester New College, London

The mere capacity of an animal for being "broken in," i.e. for being modified in its action through fear and hope, does not constitute personality or confer responsibility; and no integral moral relation arises until both natures are homogeneous and both personal.

Hence it follows that the relation, as ethically regarded, includes, besides the adjustment of external action, an indispensable concomitant of internal thought or feeling: for it is just here, i.e. in the absence of preferential consent or intention, that the animal obedience is defective. To say that personal relations are essentially mental relations, is to say that the essential business of Ethics is with the inner springs of action.

Once more: our definition presupposes that the personal relations "may be made better or worse by our will." If I am master of no such alternative, if at each moment only one thing is possible to me, or if, out of two, neither is better than the other, I am the subject simply of natural law, not of moral. Differences of tendency may still be the object of scientific investigation, like differences of stature or digestion: but there is nothing to distinguish the study of what ought to be from the study of what is; and Ethics pluck up their fence and surrender their field to psychology, - unless indeed the biologist, who has long been squatting there, has already got too firm a hold.

Now, for Ethics thus defined I do not ask for any other place of birth and exercise than the common life of persons together; i.e. a human Society.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.