In beginning his lecture last evening Dr. Royce announced as the subject of the course the discussion of the ethical bearing of certain recent social movements. In the introduction a brief sketch was given of the recent tendency to what might generally be called a return to socialism in the political life of England, of some continental countries, and to a less degree, of our own country. Then it was pointed out that this tendency means not merely a political movement, but also to some extent the growth of a moral ideal which gives a stronger life to the movement. The moral ideal at the basis of socialism is the ideal of society as an organized whole, whose interests are not identical with the mere aggregate of the individual interests. The conflict between this and the other, (the utilitarian ideal) was then outlined and the problem was prepared for further discussion at the next time. The next lecture will deal especially with the conflict between socialism and utilitarianism as moral ideas.
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