Abstract

The basic theme of Reason and Goodness is the dialectic between reason and feeling in the determination of ethical value; by far the largest portion of the book is dedicated to examining this dialectic as it has appeared in the writings of ethical theorists. This historical discussion contains few surprises; no archives have been plundered for startling new documents, nor are we ever asked to view a familiar text in the light of a radically new interpretation. It can hardly be said that Blanshard has shed new light on the past. But this should not be taken as a criticism, for he makes it abundantly clear that his primary interest is not historical