Richness of character is as important as correctness. The
world's benefactors have often been one-sided and faulty men. None of
us can be complete; and we had better not be much disturbed over the
fact, but rather set ourselves to grow strong enough to carry off our
defects.
Because ethics has not always kept its eyes open to this obvious
duality of goodness it has often incurred the contempt of practical
men. The ethical writers of our time have done better. They have come
to see that the goodness of a person or thing consists in its being as
richly diversified as is possible up to the limit of harmonious,
working, and also in being orderly up to the limit of repression of
powers. Beyond either of these limits evil begins. What I have
expressed in my diagram as the fullest organization is intended to lie
within them.
V
It remains to compare the view of goodness here presented with two
others which have met with wide approval. The competence of my own
will be tested by seeing whether it can explain these, or they it.
Goodness is sometimes defined as that which satisfies desire. Things
are not good in themselves, but only as they respond to human wishes.
A certain combination of colors or sounds is good, because I like it.
A republic we Americans consider the best form of government because
we believe that this more completely than any other meets the
legitimate desires of its people.
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