Consequently
while such an attitude has moral results, the results are morally
undesirable -- above all in a democratic society where so much
depends upon personal disposition.
4. The Social and the Moral. All of the separations which we
have been criticizing -- and which the idea of education set
forth in the previous chapters is designed to avoid -- spring
from taking morals too narrowly, -- giving them, on one side, a
sentimental goody-goody turn without reference to effective
ability to do what is socially needed, and, on the other side,
overemphasizing convention and tradition so as to limit morals to
a list of definitely stated acts. As a matter of fact, morals
are as broad as acts which concern our relationships with others.
And
potentially this includes all our acts, even though their social
bearing may not be thought of at the time of performance. For
every act, by the principle of habit, modifies disposition -- it
sets up a certain kind of inclination and desire. And it is
impossible to tell when the habit thus strengthened may have a
direct and perceptible influence on our association with others.
Certain traits of character have such an obvious connection with
our social relationships that we call them "moral" in an emphatic
sense -- truthfulness, honesty, chastity, amiability, etc. But
this only means that they are, as compared with some other
attitudes, central: -- that they carry other attitudes with them.
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