lxxxiv Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



must content ourselves with a glance at a few of the conclusions 

 reached : 



i. The spiritual is the natural itself rising toward its ideal form 

 through the free activity of the moral person. 



2. The field of ethics is life itself and its task to make this life, 

 as far as possible, an expression of rational good will. 



3. A conditional life like ours cannot reach its ideal form, unless 

 it be in harmony both with its objective environment and with its sub- 

 jective ideals. 



4. The moral life finds its chief field in the service of the com- 

 mon good. Neither virtue nor happiness is attainable as a direct ab- 

 stract aim. 



5. The greatest need in ethics is the impartial and unselfish will 

 to do right. In fulfilling this need abstractions should be neglected 

 and ethical considerations should be applied thoughtfully to the prob- 

 lems of life and conduct. 



6. Righteousness is not to be achieved once for all — it is a living 

 will to do right, ever adjusting to new conditions. 



7. The respectable class is the dangerous class in society. By its 

 indifference to public good it becomes the accomplice of all the ene- 

 mies of society. [We can hardly agree with the author that the " ease 

 with which self-styled good people ignore public duties and become 

 criminal accomplices in the worst crimes against humanity is one of the 

 humorous features of our ethical tife." It is one of the saddest prophe- 

 cies of social dissolution for which the apathetic church of our gener- 

 ation is chiefly responsible. A temporizing and effeminate clergy, fear- 

 ful of antagonizing subsidized interests, fosters the inclinations of its 

 constituency and, disclaiming any connection between the church and 

 public morals, has led to the easy conclusion that there is no connec- 

 tion between religion and public morals.] 



The chapter on the development of morals is characteristic. Ad- 

 mitting that first in the development of man we find a body of in- 

 stincts, appetites and passions which lie back of all volition, he disal- 

 lows the importance of evolution for morals. He says: " Innumer- 

 able deductions of moral faculty have been vouchsafed us, in which 

 flogged curs have played a notable part. Luckily, this philosophy 

 and its four-footed accomplices have had their day." This fling at 

 comparative psychology is gratuitous and likely to react strongly 

 against the author's position, especially as he admits that the animal 

 elements in the psyche furnish the raw material of life. The attempt 

 to isolate ethics is incongruous with the author's views of conduct. 



