Human, All Too Human, Part 42 summary
Part 42 of 152 · 1 min to read the part
In 42, the argument explains that ethical judgments depend on a civilization’s ranking of enjoyments, so conduct judged moral in one period can count as non-moral in another. These rankings do not rest on absolute ethics; instead, each ethical adjustment supplies the standards by which conduct is judged.
What happens
- An accepted ranking of enjoyments determines whether a preference counts as ethical or unethical.
- Choosing sensual pleasure over health, or welfare over freedom, counts as unethical within the ranking described.
- Rankings change across periods, so demanding satisfaction of the law receives different moral judgments.
- Calling someone unethical marks insufficient sensitivity to impulses valued by the present civilization.
- The argument concludes that ethical adjustments establish the rankings used to judge conduct, rather than following absolute ethics.
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What to notice
The examples show that moral judgment depends on which enjoyment receives priority. The argument then questions whether that order holds across different periods.
Quick check
What determines whether conduct is ethical in the argument?
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