On Dewey's Naturalistic Ethics

Dewey's ethics is regarded as the most hopeful ethics in our modern times by some of the modern theorists. In the meantime, they think that Dewey's ethics is more enlightening than some modem theories. Yet only if we really understand Dewey's ethics can we say whether this kind of judgment of Dewey's theory is proper or not. This thesis illustrates the unique ethical vision of Dewey's ethics and Dewey's criticism of the traditional ethics in addition. Furthermore, it tries to point out the significance of Dewey's ethics in modern times.Dewey did not try to set up a system of ethical theory on purpose. On the contrary, most of his ethical works are just the criticism based on the ethical experiences. Dewey's ethics tries to do away the mental barriers which hinder our behavior. And just as Rorty has ever pointed out that Dewey's philosophy is a kind of therapeutic philosophy. Its main feature is to clear away the problems which have ever troubled our forefathers. Therefore, the best way to understand Dewey's ethical works is not to find a system but get familiar with his ethical vision.Dewey's ethics is a kind of naturalistic ethics. However, naturalism has been criticized since Moore put forward naturalistic fallacy. So a question whether Dewey's naturalism is reasonable rises. In fact, Dewey's naturalistic ethics is not the naturalism referred to by those critics who oppose naturalism. It puts morality within the scope of science and experience so that morality becomes something public and testable instead of something subject and transcendental. In the meanwhile, Dewey's ethics does not offer the answer to the question of traditional ethical theories but points out that ethics is to solve the problems concerning about human beings and the value of human being's behavior. In Dewey's ethics he emphasizes that the problems to be solved by ethics should be closely related with our realistic lives instead of just the problems concerning about summum bonum and final aim which are formed under the influence of the ideas of traditional dualism. In modern ethics what is the theme of ethics and what ethicist should do became the important topics to be discussed, while facing these topics we can say Dewey's ethics represents a new direction of modern ethics.Fletcher's theory of situation ethics has brought about great reaction. Yet in fact,Dewey has already put forward situation ethical theory early than Fletcher did it. And Dewey's illustration is much more extensive and profound. Dewey's opinion is that ethical problems should not get away from the realistic situation and it is meaningless to discuss ethical problems independent of the concrete situation. At the same time, since ethical situations are uncertain we will never solve the moral problems if we do not take this uncertainty into our consideration. Therefore, what we should do is to try to solve the problems with intelligence and the method of inquiry.The problem of value and evaluation is what Dewey most concerns with in his ethics because it not only concerns the problem of the distinction between fact and value put forward by Hume but also is the problem to be solved by naturalistic ethics. Dewey does not equate fact with value. His main idea is to analyze the various factors existing in value and then to understand value through the interaction between different factors. In Dewey opinion, value has to be defined by the enjoyment of the results of the intelligent conducts, therefore, value concerns the adjustment of enjoyment which in turn concerns the new understanding of the relationship between aim and means. In addition, Dewey's understanding of value brings about the new standards for moral evaluation.Dewey points out that morals in its broad sense is a function of the interaction of human nature and social environment, therefore, ethics can only be explained from the angle of the interaction between human nature and environment. In the meantime, since human nature is adaptable and can be used to do both the good things and the bad things, the key problem existing in the relationship between human nature and morality is how to guide human nature to do the good and avoid the bad.Dewey holds the idea that moral is social and that is a fact. Therefore, the problem we are facing is how to harmonize the relationship between individual and society and how to reform society to create a better society so that the cooperative inquiry used to solve problem can become more effective and capacity of individuals can be better developed. And Dewey thinks that social factors should not be the passive and restrictive factors but the active and encouraging factors. Concerning this point, Dewey offers us some constructive suggestions in his ethics.In a word, Dewey's ethics is a surpassing of the traditional ethics. First, in Dewey's opinion, ethicist are not the representation of authority, they should be just the person who are more concerned with the realistic problems. Therefore, their work should be critical or therapeutic instead of finding the everlasting rules or the unchangeable good. Secondly, the main task of ethics is to develop a kind of ethicalspirit. Since ethical conducts are uncertain, we will always face certain ethical problems. So we should develop a spirit of ethical inquiry to try to solve the moral problems through the cooperation with other people in our lives. And these are maybe the real reason why Dewey is regarded as the hero of philosophy.