Human, All Too Human, Part 39 summary
Part 39 of 152 · 4 min to read the part
In 39, the argument traces moral judgment from useful or harmful consequences to judgments of motives and character, then rejects responsibility because human nature itself follows necessarily from prior conditions. It challenges Schopenhauer’s appeal to guilt as evidence of freedom and concludes that judging others or oneself is unjust.
What happens
- People first call actions good or bad according to their effects on the community, then treat goodness and badness as properties of actions.
- Responsibility shifts from acts and conduct to motives and finally to a person’s whole nature.
- The argument rejects responsibility because human nature necessarily results from past and present influences.
- Schopenhauer treats guilt as evidence of freedom in a person’s nature, while accepting necessity in actions.
- The argument answers that remorse depends on mistaken belief in freedom and varies with custom and civilization.
- It declares judgment unjust, including self-judgment, but says fear of consequences drives people away from this conclusion.
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In this part
Quick check
According to the argument, why do people experience remorse?
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