Sidgwick understands the natural flaws that we all have as human beings. These flaws can possibly prevent us from reaching our happiness and attain our Common Sense. These imperfections come from our intelligence and our sympathy.
For intelligence, “We must also allow further for the limitation of intelligence: for in all ages ordinary men have had a very inadequate knowledge of natural sequences; so that such indirect consequences as have been felt have been frequently traced to wrong causes, and have been met by wrong moral remedies, owing to imperfect apprehension of the relation of means to ends. (459)” We as humans do not have the best education in life on life experiences. We learn as we go. Thus, we have to make our mistake with intelligence in order to learn. Sidgwick believes that this type of education needs to be limited so that it does not affect our ability for proper Common Sense.
But in the end he believes that these imperfections are not really affecting his proof unless they happen in extremes. (459) Utilitarianism ideals still stand.
I think that Sidgwick is making a good argument in understanding our flaws as humans, but not using it as an excuse. We need to realize that we have these possible flaws. But, we have to control them so that we can work towards happiness.
3 comments:
Kenny, I understand that there is no subsitute for life experiences. In order to attain proper common sense, we must limit our intellegence so as not to "overthink" things. But i don't understand why the imperfections need to be on the extreme ends? Can you clarify that for me thanks.
To answer your question, when Sidgwick discusses imperfections affecting our Common Sense, he says that they are not the most important disadvantage to us, unless the imperfection, or course, is "extreme, - especially in the earlier stages of social and moral development" (459). I believe that Sidgwick does not believe these imperfections, our basic human flaws, are as detrimental as they would be in the "extreme" because if an imperfection is extreme then it will overpower our proper Common Sense. Also, Sidgwick adds that if the imperfection is extreme and happens during the early stages of development it would be a disadvantage to use (459). I agree with Sidgwick on this because an extreme imperfection occurring during our developmental stages would detrimentally affect our proper Common Sense, since it is in these stages that our Common Sense is formed.
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