CHAPTER XII 



THE CONDUCT UNIT 



The study of the consequences of conduct has led to the 

 belief that the justice of these consequences appears only 

 when a number of individuals are considered in their joint 

 responsibility for them. 



If this belief is well founded, and if there is a unit charge- 

 able for certain activities and the results, it is evident that 

 for each different activity of civilized mankind there must 

 be a different unit of conduct, comprising those jointly en- 

 gaged in it. It is clear that in the complexity of modern life 

 there is no possibility of ultimately analyzing and valuing 

 such co-operative conduct. But we may form a general idea 

 of its nature and of the composition and co-operation of 

 some of the natural groups of persons. 



The most obvious alliance in responsibility is that of 

 parent and children and children's children. Parents and 

 children evidently stand in joint concern as to the conduct 

 of either; and the consequences of the parent's conduct, 

 whether good or bad, will fall not only upon the parent 

 but upon the child for many years of childhood. Efforts to 

 alleviate this law fail to obliterate it. The child is dependent. 

 Until maturity the separate responsibility of the child can 

 hardly be said to appear. There is some responsibility of 



102 



