G. A. Johnston

“ Everything, then, that man does is done because it is conceived to have a value-for-life. And this is a value for human life. Every action and judgment has some relation to man, and is done with reference to what is good for man. But what is the good for man? If all action and all science have a value-for-life, there must be some good for man. The question what that good is is the question that ethics asks and tries to answer. What is the good of human life? What is the aim of human life? ”

“ It is not content to enumerate the moral customs of the world, and to state the kind of conduct that they sanction. Ethics is always concerned with the rightness or wrongness of conduct: it deals with the character and conduct of man, in so far as it is good or bad, right or wrong. Ethics always approves or disapproves, it sets a value, negative or positive, upon conduct. It appraises and evaluates conduct. It reflects on conduct, and pronounces human actions good or bad, with reference to some standard or criterion. ”

“ And it is true that people often speak grammatically without ever having studied grammar, argue logically with no knowledge of logic, keep perfect health in blissful ignorance of hygiene, and live good lives although they have never heard of ethics.
Yet in all these departments of life we believe in education. Man is a rational animal, and willy-nilly he must think. It is natural that he should reflect on his behaviour. The educator is aware, of course, that all men do not speak grammatically, or argue logically, or live healthily, or act rightly ”

“ Education holds that a knowledge of hygiene will sometimes save a man from disease, and will improve the general health of the community. So the moral educator believes that the more a man has reflected about conduct and character, the less likely he is to do wrong, and the more likely he is to do right.
But the success of all education depends on the willingness to improve of the person who is being educated. The educator can't make a child speak grammatically, unless the child wants to speak grammatically. He can't make the child argue logically, unless the child wants to argue logically. ”

“ But not everybody wants always to act rightly. If a person wants to be good, wants to act rightly, wants to do what he ought to do, then ethics may be of great value to him.
In addition to this, the moral educator may do something to inspire the child to want to act rightly. If he is brought into contact with the child young enough, while its character is still being formed, and the system of its wants and desires is still being developed, he may do much to influence it, to turn its desires in the right direction. Moral education may help the child to learn to want the right things. ”

“ When a science has been developed, it consists of a body of answers to a certain general question. Thus, the science of mathematics consists of a system of answers to the question, What is the nature of number and quantity? ”

“ Astronomy is an attempt to answer the question, What are the laws which govern the planets and other celestial bodies? Physiology seeks to answer the question, What is the constitution of the human body? ”

“ Ethics is the science of character, the science which deals with moral customs and habits of conduct. Ethics is sometimes called moral philosophy, a name which is derived from the Latin mores, meaning primarily customs and habits, and secondarily the habits of moral agents in respect of moral action, i.e. ”

“ He wonders why the fire burns, why the wheels of the watch go round, what the moon is made of, and why his stomach hurts. To satisfy his wonder he asks questions. This is the attitude of the true scientist. Newton asked himself why the apple falls to the ground ”