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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXX. No. 759 



A noteworthy addition to this latter group of ■ 

 books on ethics is the volume written by 

 Professors Dewey and Tufts. In its first part 

 it examines the beginnings and growth of 

 morality, describing certain aspects of group 

 life and tracing the process of moral develop- 

 ment in its general outlines, ending with 

 specific illustrations of the process taken from 

 the life of Israel, Greece and modern civiliza- 

 tion. Part II., which represents Professor 

 Dewey's contribution to the book, analyzes 

 conduct on the inner personal side. It seeks 

 to find the meaning of moral action (The 

 Moral Situation, Problems of Moral Theory), 

 discusses the typical answers which have been 

 made to this question (Types of Moral 

 Theory), tries to discover the principles under- 

 lying moral judgments and moral conduct 

 (Conduct and Character, Happiness and 

 Conduct, Happiness and Social Ends, Place 

 of Eeason in the Moral Life, Place of Duty 

 in the Moral Life, Place of Self in the Moral 

 Life), and ends with an examination of the 

 fundamental virtues. Part III. is entitled 

 The World of Action and studies conduct as 

 action in society. The attention is here cen- 

 tered upon three phases of conduct which are 

 of especial interest and importance : political 

 rights and duties, the production, distribu- 

 tion and ownership of wealth, and the rela- 

 tions of domestic and family life (Social 

 Organization and the Individual, Civil So- 

 ciety and the Political State, The Ethics of 

 the Economic Life, Some Principles in the 

 Economic Order, Unsettled Problems in the 

 Economic Order, The Family). 



The plan of the book is good. It is impor- 

 tant that the student be made acquainted 

 with the facts of moral life, with the moral 

 ideas and practises of the race in their evo- 

 lution, that he study the principles of moral- 

 ity, and finally that he receive some guidance 

 in the application of this knowledge to the 

 problems of individual and social life. It is 

 not easy, however, to carry out so compre- 

 hensive a plan within the narrow limits of a 

 single text-book. There is little wonder there- 

 fore that the reader should at times wish for 

 a somewhat fuller treatment; so much matter 



is often compressed into a narrow compass 

 that only a student already familiar with the 

 subject can thoroughly appreciate it. This is 

 particularly true of the chapter on the He- 

 brew Moral Development and the chapter on 

 the Virtues. But as the bibliographies given 

 at the end of each chapter are excellent, no 

 person possessed of the reading habit need 

 remain in darkness. 



Another characteristic of modern ethics is 

 its desire to do justice to the different ethical 

 theories and movements which have divided 

 thought and practice. In this respect too the 

 book before us exemplifies the spirit of the 

 times. Assuming as it does that there is 

 some germ of truth in each one of the great 

 schools, it seeks to make peace between them, 

 choosing sanely that which is valuable in 

 each. Thus in the consideration of the con- 

 troversy between the " attitude theory " and 

 the " result theory " the conclusion is reached 

 that it is an error to split a voluntary act 

 which is single and entire into two unrelated 

 parts, " inner " and " outer," " motive " and 

 " end." A " mere " motive which does not do 

 anything, which makes nothing different, is 

 not a genuine motive at all, and hence is not 

 a voluntary act. Consequences which are not 

 intended, which are not personally wanted 

 and chosen and striven for, are no part of a 

 voluntary act (p. 238). And as only volun- 

 tary acts are morally judged, " the appropri- 

 ate subject-matter of moral judgment is the 

 disposition of the person as manifested in the 

 tendencies which cause certain consequences, 

 rather than others, to be considered and es- 

 teemed — foreseen and desired. Disposition, 

 motive, intent are then judged good or bad 

 according to the consequences they tend to 

 produce" (p. 262). 



This would seem to be the correct solution 

 of the conflict between the Kantians and the 

 Utilitarians on this point. The question as 

 to the nature of these consequences is handled 

 in the same impartial way; we get another 

 searching analysis of Utilitarianism and the 

 opposing views, and an excellent criticism of 

 psychological hedonism (chapters XIV., XV.). 

 The net result of the discussion is : 



