An introduction to social ethics; the social conscience in a democracy
The fundamental problem of human life is the social problem or the problem of living together in a social order with the least friction and the richest possible conservation and development of human powers. Democracy is but the last and, we are more and more convinced, the best solution of the social problem.
Democracy, therefore, whatever it may mean, is not ultimate; it is a means to an end. It is merely one of the many solutions that have been proposed for the fundamental problem of civilization. Democracy is true, then, not because it reflects the eternal order of things but because of its practical results.
Of governments as well as of religious beliefs it may be said " By their fruits ye shall know them ". Democracy being an attempt to solve a comprehensive problem will of course present many phases. Looked at from the point of view of the state, democracy may be defined as the vesting of the people with the sovereign power. The supreme advantage of popular rule is that through it freedom and responsibility, rights and duties, are most intimately related.
The exercise of sovereignty emphasizes the obligations that accompany it. Men are made to feel that rights and duties are but different ways of viewing the same social situation.
some contents of the book:
CHAPTER I
1. The Meaning of Democracy 3
2. Democracy and the Average Man 6
3. The Characteristics of the Average Man 8
4. Demos, the Modern Tyrant 12
5. The Fallacy of Mere Goodness 15
6. The Paradox of Democracy 19
CHAPTER II
THE RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND : CALVINISM
1. The Predominant Religious Interest 23
2. The Philosophy of Calvinism 25
3. The Social Implications of Calvinism 29
4. The Puritan Ethics of Business 32
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