Philo-Socrates. A series of papers, wherein subjects are investigated which, there is reason to believe, would have interested Socrates (Volume 4)
(This historic book may have numerous typos and missing te...)
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1864 Excerpt: ... 105 ON EIGHT AND WRONG. P. Our last conversation left us of one mind, thus far: that irrespectively of all religions, it is quite within the bounds of human capacity to attain, if not to a perfect, at all events, to a very considerable knowledge of good and evil, and also of the best means for securing the first and avoiding the second. We seemed, also, to be of one mind, that of all evils, or causes of human misery, there is not one to be compared with ignorance in the number of its victims. Ignorance, as we saw, if it do not cause, omits to prevent, plague, pestilence and famine, and wars and self-torture. But ignorance produces its effects through human conduct--through mistaken action or inaction. Even in those cases where the misconduct of an individual is not attributable to his own ignorance, it may yet be traced to the ignorance of others who did not know how to train him, so as to prevent his acting in opposition to the dictates of his own knowledge. Seeing, then, how much of human happiness depends upon human conduct, can you conceive it possible that men, such as they are recorded to have been, and as we know them to be, should have omitted to take cognizance of different kinds of conduct; to approve of some and disapprove of others; to encourage some and discourage others; to insist upon some and to forbid others? H. To conceive that men should not have reflected upon the causes and consequences of their own conduct, would be to conceive man organized altogether differently to what he is. P. Viewing man's conduct as a subject of inquiry, of examination, of reflection, through countless ages, do we appear to you to have groped our way at last to a juster discrimination, to a wiser classification, of the kinds of conduct which ought to be approved...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030T1VCO/?tag=2022091-20