Everyday Ethics

Chapter I: The Diffusion of Ethics — Shows that ethical questions arise in all areas of ordinary life and human interest. Chapter II: Boundaries — Discusses responsibility, choice, voluntary and involuntary action. Chapter III: The Power of Purpose — Explains purpose as the core of moral life and moral classification. Chapter IV: Goodness, the Essence of Manhood — Defines goodness in relation to chosen purpose, sacrifice, and fulfilment. Chapter V: How to Judge Purposes — Presents criteria for judging acts and purposes. Chapter VI: The Darkness of Sin — Interprets sin as avoidance of light and abandonment of one’s aim. Chapter VII: The Light of Conscience — Describes conscience as the will to know the right act. Chapter VIII: Conscience, Custom and Law — Examines the relation between morality, law, and social custom. Chapter IX: Interests as Life Givers and Life Savers — Discusses interests as sources of moral vitality and reform. Chapter X: The Choice of Interests — Classifies interests and explains how to choose them rightly. Chapter XI: Effort, Sacrifice, and Drudgery — Connects growth with effort and right sacrifice. Chapter XII: Selfishness — Analyzes selfhood, narrowness, and unselfish action. Chapter XIII: Sympathy — Presents sympathy as an expansion of selfhood and creative moral force. Chapter XIV: Imagination — Shows the moral value of imagination in fulfilling aims. Chapter XV: Memory — Discusses memory as central to integrity and resistance to temptation. Chapter XVI: Courage — Distinguishes courage from fearlessness and gives methods for conquering fear. Chapter XVII: Thought Aglow with Feeling — Explores the relation between feeling, thought, and artistic expression. Chapter XVIII: Thought and Action — Examines action, reflection, temptation, and growth. Chapter XIX: Truth — Discusses falsehood, truthfulness, and accurate communication. Chapter XX: Truth Speaking as a Fine Art — Treats truth-speaking as a disciplined moral skill. Chapter XXI: Open-Mindedness and Prejudice — Analyzes prejudice, loyalty, fairness, and open-mindedness. Chapter XXII: Self-Government — Discusses obedience, self-rule, and chosen discipline. Chapter XXIII: The Use of Time — Explains the moral meaning of saving, shaping, and using time.