Ethics — Story, Setting & Ideas

Historical Approach as a Pedagogical Tool

The preface emphasizes that Part I presents “historic material” to help students “follow the moral life through typical epochs of its development.” This method is meant to overcome the difficulty of analyzing conduct that is “so intimate that it is not easy to analyze.” By seeing how earlier societies grappled with moral questions, readers can better understand their own assumptions. The authors claim that this approach has proved effective in their classroom experience. Notably, they do not claim that history reveals a single moral truth; rather, it supplies material for discussion and analysis. The excerpts do not include the actual historical chapters, so the reader must infer that the book’s first part likely surveys ancient, medieval, and modern ethical thought as a foundation for later theoretical and practical discussions.

Kant’s Categorical Imperative Under Scrutiny

In the middle excerpt, the authors dissect Kant’s universalization test. They quote Kant’s formula: “Act as if the maxim of thy action were to become by thy will a universal law of nature.” Then they offer a sympathetic but critical analysis. They praise the method for helping “escape from the partiality that flows from desire and emotion” and for making us “face our proposed end in its impartial consequences.” However, they argue that Kant’s procedure does not actually proceed from a “mere consideration of moral law apart from a concrete end,” but rather from an end that “persistently approves itself to reflection after an adequate survey of it in all its bearings.” This is a key interpretive move: Dewey and Tufts reinterpret Kant’s test as a way of generalizing concrete ends, not as a purely formal exercise. They illustrate with Kant’s own examples—suicide, neglecting talents, refusing to help others—and conclude that the real “contradiction” Kant relies on is “the introduction of friction and disorder among the various concrete ends of the individual.” This section shows the authors’ method of taking classic theories and making them tools for practical reflection.

The Social End as the Rational End

Building on their critique of Kant, the authors assert that “the Social End is the Rational End.” They argue that the social relations of an act bring out its general character. This is a pivot from individualistic ethics to a more social conception. The excerpt suggests that the authors see moral reasoning as inherently tied to community and interdependence. They note that Kant’s own examples implicitly rely on social consequences: the person who considers suicide must think about the effect on self-love, the person neglecting talents must consider that faculties “serve for all sorts of possible purposes,” and the person refusing help must recognize that he may need others’ sympathy. This section prepares the reader for Part III, which the preface describes as dealing with “typical social and economic problems which characterize the present.” The authors are laying groundwork for a pragmatic, socially engaged ethics.

Anticipating the Practical Turn

The preface indicates that Part III will address “some typical social and economic problems which characterize the present.” The excerpts do not include this part, but the authors’ emphasis on concrete ends and social relations suggests that they will apply their historical and theoretical framework to real-world issues. The reader can expect discussions of topics like poverty, labor, or justice, though the excerpts do not specify which. The authors’ tone throughout is measured and analytical, avoiding dogmatic pronouncements. They aim to “awaken a vital conviction of the genuine reality of moral problems” and to show the “value of reflective thought in dealing with them.” This orientation encourages the reader to engage actively with the material, using the historical and theoretical tools provided to think through contemporary moral questions.

To get the most from this book, read the historical chapters as preparation, not as background. Note how the authors use Kant’s theory as a springboard for their own social emphasis. When you reach Part III, try to apply the method of generalizing concrete ends to the problems discussed. The book rewards careful attention to its structure: the historical, theoretical, and practical parts are meant to work together, not as separate units.