History as Past Ethics; An Introduction to the History of Morals (Paperback)

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.1913 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER X THE MORAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF HELLAS: AN IDEAL OF SELF-REALIZATION The Greek ethical ideal, a creation of the natural feelings mtroaucand impulses of the human mind and heart uninfluenced by theological doctrines, was one of the most imperishable products of Greek life and thought. This conception of what constitutes good life became a part of the Greek bequest to civilization. The modern world is thus indebted to Greece not only for priceless elements of its intellectual and art life, but for precious elements of its moral life as well. Throughout the medieval age, it is true, it was the ethical heritage from Judea that shaped and colored the moral ideal of the European peoples, but even during that period this Semitic ideal bore the deep impress of Greek ethics, while ever since the Renaissance it is the ethical bequest of Hellas which has steadily become an ever more and more dominant factor in the moral life of the Western nations. The conscience of the modern world of science is Hellenic rather than Hebraic. I. Institutions And Ideas Determining The Moral Type The Greek city state was the creator of the Greek con-The city science; that is to say, the relationships and activities of the moil oie Greek as a citizen, and not his relationships and activities as JjJj'k TMa" a husband or father or business man, determined his chief the chief sphere of duties. Conscience was very little involved in that part of Greekmorai his life which lay outside the civic sphere. It was solely as a member of a city community, which was to the Greek what The Greek view of man's nature as the Church was to the man of medieval times, that he could live the truly moral life and attain the highest virtue. The common Greek view of man's nature was like that of the Chinese...