The Scientific Basis of Morals, and Other Essays Viz.: Right and Wrong, The Ethics of Belief, The Ethics of Religion — A Closer Reading

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In Category - Ethics

Authors: Clifford, William Kingdon, 1845-1879 Published By : Project Gutenberg In Year : 2015

Key Word: Ethics Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words: 44,853

Reading time: 196 min

Text sections: 6

Source: Project Gutenberg record #50189

Clifford argues that moral judgments are rooted in a scientific understanding of human nature, examining the ethics of belief and religion through the lens of evidence and social responsibility.

Editorial Edition Score 4.7/5

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File: pg50189

Editorial Notes

Clifford opens his essay by defining morals as a special kind of pleasure or displeasure felt when contemplating conduct, which he likens to the sense of taste. He introduces the concept of a 'moral sense' and a 'moral appetite,' treating them as observable facts rather than metaphysical abstractions. The maxims of ethics, he argues, take the form of a categorical imperative—commands to do right for its own sake. Yet he immediately notes that these commands vary across races and times, setting up a tension between universal moral feeling and cultural particularity.

The Moral Sense as a Natural Faculty

Clifford treats the moral sense as a natural phenomenon, comparable to the sense of taste. He writes that the feelings it describes 'may be analyzed or accounted for, but they cannot be more exactly defined as feelings.' This move grounds ethics in empirical psychology rather than divine command or abstract reason. By insisting that the moral sense is a fact of consciousness, he prepares the ground for a scientific investigation of its origins and variations. The essay thus begins not with a prescription but with a description of how moral judgments actually operate in human minds.

Belief and the Duty of Inquiry

In 'The Ethics of Belief,' Clifford presents a stark argument: it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone to believe anything on insufficient evidence. He illustrates this with the case of a shipowner who convinces himself his vessel is sound without proper inspection, leading to disaster. Clifford insists that the belief itself, not just the subsequent action, is morally culpable. He writes that 'no man holding a strong belief on one side of a question... can investigate it with such fairness and completeness as if he were really in doubt and unbiased.' The duty to examine evidence is thus absolute, and any belief formed without it corrupts the believer's character and endangers society.

The Social Fabric of Belief

Clifford extends his argument by emphasizing that no belief is a private matter. He describes how 'our words, our phrases, our forms and processes and modes of thought, are common property, fashioned and perfected from age to age.' Every belief, however trivial, becomes woven into the shared conceptual framework that guides human action. This social dimension gives belief its moral weight: to believe carelessly is to betray a sacred trust, to 'help to create the world in which posterity will live.' The essay thus links individual epistemology to collective responsibility, making the ethics of belief a matter of public concern.

Clifford's essays demand that readers examine the grounds of their own convictions. The arguments are dense and often uncompromising, but they reward careful attention to the logical steps and illustrative examples. Readers may find it useful to consider how Clifford's principles apply to contemporary debates about evidence, faith, and public discourse. The text rewards multiple readings, as the connections between the three essays become clearer upon reflection.