第15章 権力と道徳律, n.22 - 自分が嫌悪を感じる行為
このような見かたを受けいれると,倫理学は「善(良い)」と「悪(悪い)」を,手段としてではなくそれ自体の目的として定義づけるに帰せられる。功利主義者は,善とは快楽であり悪とは苦痛だと言う。しかし,(その見解について)功利主義者と意見を異にする者がいるとしたら,功利主義者としてはどのような論拠(arguments 議論;論拠,理由)をあげることができるであろうか? |
Chapter 15: Power and Moral Codes, n.22Nevertheless, I find, speaking personally, that there are kinds of conduct against which I feel a repugnance which seems to me to be moral, but to be not obviously based upon an estimate of consequences. I am informed by many people that the preservation of democracy, which I think important, can only be secured by gassing immense numbers of children and doing a number of other horrible things. I find that, at this point, I cannot acquiesce in the use of such means. I tell myself that they will not secure the end, or that, if they do, they will incidentally have other effects so evil as to outweigh any good that democracy might do. I am not quite sure how far this argument is honest: I think I should refuse to use such means even if I were persuaded that they would secure the end and that no others would. Per contra, psychological imagination assures me that nothing that I should think good can possibly be achieved by such means. On the whole, I think that, speaking philosophically, all acts ought to be judged by their effects; but as this is difficult and uncertain and takes time, it is desirable, in practice, that some kinds of acts should be condemned and others praised without waiting to investigate consequences. I should say, therefore, with the utilitarians, that the right act, in any given circumstances, is that which, on the data, will probably produce the greatest balance of good over evil of all the acts that are possible; but that the performance of such acts may be promoted by the existence of a moral code.Accepting this view, ethics is reduced to defining "good" and "bad," not as means, but as ends in themselves. The utilitarian says that the good is pleasure and the bad is pain. But if some one disagrees with him, what arguments can he produce? |