Problems of Conduct | Page 2

or habitual moral preferences and
discussing with open mind their justification and rationality is of great
value to the individual and to society. Hence the first two Parts of this
volume take up, as simply as is consonant with the really intricate
questions involved, the history of the development of human morality
and the psychological foundation of moral obligations and ideals. The
exposition of the meaning of right and wrong there unfolded serves as a
basis for the sound solution of the confused concrete issues, private and
then public, which are discussed in the remainder of the volume.
An introductory outline of any subject must inevitably be superficial.
To explain all the discriminations that are important to the specialist, to
justify thoroughly all the positions taken, to do adequate justice to
opposing views, would require ten volumes instead of one. And though
there is a crying need of scholarly and elaborate discussion of the
endless problems of morality, there is a prior need for the student of
surveying the field, seeing what the problems are, how they are related,
and what is approximately certain. The impression left by many ethical
treatises, that everything is matter for dispute and no moral judgments
are reliable, seems to me unfortunate; I have preferred to incur the
charge of dogmatism rather than to fall into that error to offer a clear

cut set of standards, to which exception will be taken by this critic or
that, rather than to hold out to the student a chaos of confused
possibilities.
No originality of viewpoint is claimed for this book. Its raison d'etre is
simply to provide a clearer, more concrete, and more concisely
comprehensive view of the nature of morality and its summons to men
than has seemed to me available. I have drawn freely upon the thoughts
of ethical teachers, classic and contemporary. These ideas are, or ought
to be, common property; and it has been impracticable to trace them to
their sources and offer detailed acknowledgment. Nothing has been
presented here that has not first passed through the crucible of my own
thinking and experience; and where the sparks came from that kindled
each particular thought I am sure I do not know.
Portions of chapters xxi and xxix have appeared in the Forum and
North American Review respectively; to the editors of these periodicals
my thanks are due for permission to reprint.
DURANT DRAKE.
MlDDLETOWN, CONN, August 3, 1914.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTORY. What is the field of ethics? Why should we study
ethics?

PART I. THE EVOLUTION OF
MORALITY

CHAPTER I.
THE ORIGIN OF PERSONAL MORALITY... How early in the
evolutionary process did personal morality of some sort emerge? What
were the main causes that produced personal morality? How far has the
moralizing process been blind and how far conscious?
CHAPTER II.
THE ORIGIN OF SOCIAL MORALITY... How early was social
morality developed? By what means was social morality produced?
How has morality been fostered by the tribe?
CHAPTER III.
OUTWARD DEVELOPMENT-MORALS... What is the difference
between morals and non-moral customs? What, in general, has been the
direction of moral progress? What definition of morality emerges from
this? Is moral progress certain?
CHAPTER IV.
INWARD DEVELOPMENT-CONSCIENCE... What are the stages in
the history of moral guidance? Out of what has conscience developed?
What is conscience now? What is the value of conscience?
CHAPTER V.
THE INDIVIDUALIZING OF CONSCIENCE... Why did not the
individualizing of conscience occur earlier? What forces made against
custom-morality? Conservatism vs. radicalism. What are the dangers of
conventional morality?
CHAPTER VI.
CAN WE BASE MORALITY UPON CONSCIENCE... What is the
meaning of "moral intuitionism"? Do the deliverances of different

people's consciences agree? If conscience everywhere agreed in its
dictates, could we base morality upon it? What is the plausibility of
moral intuitionism?

PART II. THE THEORY OF MORALITY

CHAPTER VII.
THE BASIS OF RIGHT AND WRONG... What is the nature of that
intrinsic goodness upon which ultimately all valuations rest? What is
extrinsic goodness? What sort of conduct, then, is good? And how shall
we define virtue?
CHAPTER VIII.
THE MEANING OF DUTY... Why are there conflicts between duty
and inclination? Must we deny that duty is the servant of happiness?
Does the end justify the means? What is the justification of justice and
chivalry?
CHAPTER IX.
THE JUDGMENT OF CHARACTER... Wherein consists goodness of
character? Can we say, with Kant, that the only good is the Good Will?
What evils may go with conscientiousness? What is the justification of
praise and blame? What is responsibility?
CHAPTER X.
THE SOLUTION OF PERSONAL PROBLEMS... What are the
inadequacies of instinct and impulse that necessitate morality? What
factors are to be considered in estimating the worth of personal moral
ideals? Epicureanism vs. Puritanism. What are the evils in undue

self-indulgence? What