River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-10-12
FUNCTIONAL
ETHICS
By Rev. Clarence Greeley
TEXT-By their fruits we shall know
them.-Matt. 1920.

cation, function-ethically known by
our fruits.
Right function Is progressive &C
ton. True moral life is like the heart
pulsation; it ends one beat only to be-
gin another The twentieth century
philosopher or preacher of ethics must
be something of naturalist to realize
that the functions of the yearning,
struggling will are describable only In
terms of experience; and the human
mind, with it's moral truth or aver
ments, have grown through countless
ages.
The eighteenth century rationalism,
like the Medieval dogmatism, and the
Greek idealism, looked upon the moral
world, not as dynamic or functional,
but static. The nineteenth century
thinkers since Darwin agreed on the
transformation of species-which had
been regarded since Aristotle, as fixed
and final in form once for all. Men OF
the rationalistic eighteenth century
had much to say of the dignity OF
cbangeless essential man from the
savage up to Shakespeare.
But the nineteenth century proved
that human nature is more like an
organism, not permanent in its struc-
ture, but capable of progress or retro
gression, as the outcome Of physical,
mental and moral growth of the race
for more than 10000 years; and it's
moral dignity is that of untold ages OF
suffering, survival, failure, victory,
progress.
Hence the twentieth century preach
er or teacher of ethics should know
our new physiology-the science OF
functions.
Our new psychology is called func-
tional; our new logic is called func-
tional; our new philosophy is really
functional; there is even a functional
theology; their truth not sicklied Ger
with the pale cast of thought, but
vital with the pulse beat of life. There
fore, venture, somewhat tlm1dly, on
June 6, before the Fellowship club
in this city, to speak on Functional
Ethics" a term | had not seen In
print, and Professor Tufts of the Uni
versity of Chicago gives assurance
that no work has ever appeared, TO
his knowledge, under that title.
do not seek, however, to corner
functional ethics-quite the reverse
but would define the subject in part,
as we follow the rough Bahnpfahl
(new track l am trying to blaze in
the woods, as follows: The ethics
that associates itself with the func-
tons of the growing out OF
those and Of society-and the concep-
tons underlying.
The Importance of this method (not
system) is felt not only by conserVa-
tive Christians who, as over against
mere rationalistic creeds, have pre-
sentiment that Christ's ethical way
was functional instead of credal or
metaphysical; but as mode OF
thinking, functionalism was also the
only ultimate defence of Protestant
ism against the papacy. Not only
conservative Christians, as contrasted
with railroads.&c., feel this influence
of the zeitgeist, but Professor Fostor,
e. e., a somewhat different type-fa-
miliar with up-to-date iiife sciences
afirms that one corner stone OF tWen-
tieth century morality is in our hui
man struggle for self-preservation. a
principle inexplicable in all activity
which we call life. The point we are
making is this: The ethics Of the
twentieth century will not be rational
istic but functional; and this fact ia
largely the fruit of our new or modern
biology.
The Importance of this fact Is OBJ
yious when we reflect that even tho
Renaissance largely ignored common
life (Which Henry Drummond defines
as functions); and the so-called "cul-
ture" of that period denied to ordin-
airy human nature the capacity to de-
velop organs and functions, not only
for it's own preservation but develop
ment.
Under the gradual influence of our
new biology there is more and more a
tendency to look for true goods in the
normal development of the vital func-
lions which constitute mans nature
mental, moral and spiritual, as well
as physical and economic.
A basis of functional ethics in our
new biology may be thus set forth:
When the organism modifies its activ-
ity or it's structure in response to
changed conditions, those modifica-
tons are called functional adapata-
tons. We would not press the anal
ogy Of colonies of ants and bees to
! human society too far. But we may
learn from biology of lower individuals
that each should attempt to preserve
itself, promote progress, and, If 1t
| be a member of higher community,
1t should act in the interests of others
and the whole group; that it its fun
damental task, vocation, function.
The practical application of biolog-
| zeal fruits to the derivation Of ethics,
not from imaginary standards In by
gone unscientific ages, but from life
functions and tasks In laboratory,
! shop, home, school and church-as
well urgent social topics of the time
/ is obvious, not merely the teaching
of necessary truth, too long fatally
| neglected, concerning race, sex, pro-
creation, heredity and all ''the real
earthly troubled nature of body and
/ soul"
Purpose In Life.
God has provided In the makeup OF