Methods of Ethics

第43章

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第43章

Methods of Ethics Henry Sidgwick

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Methods of Ethics
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  Otherdifficultiesmightberaised:butweneednotpursuethem,forifFreedombetakensimplytomeanthatoneman’sactionsaretobeaslittleaspossiblerestrainedbyothers,itisobviouslymorefullyrealisedwithoutappropriation。Andifitbesaidthatitincludes,besidethis,facilityandsecurityinthegratificationofdesires,andthatitisFreedominthissensethatwethinkshouldbeequallydistributed,andthatthiscannotberealisedwithoutappropriation;thenitmaybereplied,thatinasocietywherenearlyallmaterialthingsarealreadyappropriated,thiskindofFreedomisnotandcannotbeequallydistributed。Amanbornintosuchasociety,withoutinheritance,isnotonlyfairlessfreethanthosewhopossessproperty,butheislessfreethaniftherehadbeennoappropriation。Itmaybesaidthat,havingfreedomofcontract,hewillgivehisservicesinexchangefortilemeansofsatisfyinghiswants;andthatthisexchangemustnecessarilygivehimmorethanhecouldhavegotifhehadbeenplacedintheworldbyhimself;that,infact,anyhumansocietyalwaysrendersthepartoftheearththatitinhabitsmorecapableofaffordinggratificationofdesirestoeachandallofitslater-bornmembersthanitwouldotherwisebe。Buthowevertruethismaybeasageneralrule,itisobviouslynotsoinallcases:asmenaresometimesunabletoselltheirservicesatall,andoftencanonlyobtaininexchangeforthemaninsufficientsubsistence。And,evengrantingittobetrue,itdoesnotprovethatsociety,byappropriation,hasnotinterferedwiththenaturalfreedomofitspoorer。members:butonlythatitcompensatesthemforsuchinterference,andthatthecompensationisadequate:anditmustbeevidentthatifcompensationintheformofmaterialcommoditiescanbejustlygivenforanencroachmentonFreedom,therealisationofFreedomcannotbetheoneultimateendofdistributiveJustice。

  Itseems,then,thatthoughFreedomisanobjectofkeenandgeneraldesire,andanimportantsourceofhappiness,bothinitselfandindirectlyfromthesatisfactionofnaturalimpulseswhichitallows,theattempttomakeitthefundamentalnotionoftheoreticalJurisprudenceisattendedwithinsuperabledifficulties:

  andthateventheNaturalRightswhichitclaimstocovercannotbebroughtunderitexceptinaveryforcedandarbitrarymanner。Butfurther,evenifthiswereotherwise,anequaldistributionofFreedomdoesnotseemtoexhaustournotionofJustice。IdealJustice,aswecommonlyconceiveit,seemstodemandthatnotonlyFreedombutallotherbenefitsandburdensshouldbedistributed,ifnotequally,atanyratejustly,——JusticeindistributionbeingregardedasnotidenticalwithEquality,butmerelyexclusiveofarbitraryinequality。

  How,then,shallwefindtheprincipleofthishighestandmostcomprehensiveideal?

  Weshallbeledtoit,Ithink,byreferringagaintooneofthegroundsofobligationtorenderservices,whichwasnoticedinthelastchapter:theclaimofGratitude。Itthereappearedthatwehavenotonlyanaturalimpulsetorequitebenefits,butalsoaconvictionthatsuchrequitalisaduty,anditsomissionblameworthy,tosomeextentatleast;thoughwefinditdifficulttodefinetheextent。

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