42. J. M. Bösch “Human Compassion”

A contribution to the foundation of scientific ethics

The assertion of rationalist ethicists that only those actions can be considered truly moral whose driving forces are not conditioned by the egoism of the individual has been severely contradicted by the statements of recent psychologists, who ultimately attribute all human activities to egoistic motives. According to this latter view, even seemingly selfless actions have their basis in selfish feelings. The psychological constitution of the individual who performs so-called selfless acts is said to be such that his sense of self is elevated when he makes sacrifices to his fellow man. In contrast to this current, the author of this paper seeks to establish the existence and nature of human compassion and to prove that the latter is the reason for non-selfish actions. Based on the investigations of Herbert Spencer, he shows how the feeling of others comes to life in our own ego when we perceive a certain emotional expression (cry - trembling, etc.) in the person next to us, because we know that this corresponding expression also occurs in us with the feelings living in others. Furthermore - and in this he goes beyond Spencer - the author finds that the perception of another's emotional expression can also directly awaken the corresponding feeling in us, without the idea of the emotional expression we ourselves have carried out intervening. Starting from these facts, the author arrives at basic ethical concepts that do justice to the demands of ethical altruism as well as to the findings of psychology. For "although the actions of the benevolent are as well determined by his own weal and woe as those of the most ruthless egoist", the actions of the benevolent are not as well calculated for the highest possible future happiness as those of the egoist. In short, we are dealing with a book that is well worth reading and meets serious requirements in every respect.