The Meaning of Good—A Dialogue by Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson
page 32 of 247 (12%)
page 32 of 247 (12%)
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"I mean," he replied, "something that I should have thought was familiar enough. Granted that there really is a Good which each individual ought to choose, and does choose, if you like, as far as he can see it; or granted, at least, that he is bound to believe this, under penalty of reducing his life to moral chaos; still, I see no reason to suppose that the thing which one individual ought to choose is identical, or even compatible, with that which another ought to choose. There may be a whole series of distinct and mutually exclusive moral worlds. In other words, even though I may admit a Good for each, I am not prepared to admit a Good for all." "But then," I objected, "each of these Goods will also be a not-Good; and that seems to be a contradiction." "Not at all," he replied, "for each of them only professes to be Good for me, and that is quite compatible with being Bad for another." "But," cried Leslie, trembling with excitement, "your whole conception is absurd. Good is simply Good; it is not Good for anybody or anything; it is Good in its own nature, one, simple, immutable eternal." "It may be," replied Ellis, "but I hope you will not actually tear me to pieces if I humbly confess that I cannot see it. I see no reason to admit any such Good; it even has no meaning to me." "Well, anyhow, nothing else can have any meaning!" "But, to me, something else has a meaning." |
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