On Mr. Spencer's Data of Ethics

The author offers a detailed critique of an evolutionary account of ethics, examining its philosophical premises and scientific foundations. He considers scientific, biological, and sociological explanations for moral development, explores the roles of feeling, pleasure and pain, and evaluates the claim that life consists in a continuous adjustment of inner to outer relations. Subsequent chapters survey competing ethical systems, analyze the emergence of free will, and probe the relation between evolutionary theory and religion. The work concludes with a concise recapitulation of objections and suggested directions for further scrutiny by readers already acquainted with the debated theory.