The Conscience of Huckleberry Finn - Johnathen Bennett

What is the main point of this text

Our sympathy/fellow feelings should influence our morality/conscience and vice-versa, in order to have a better chance of leading a good life

Why should our our sympathy/fellow feelings influence our morality/conscience and vice-versa, in order to have a better chance of leading a good life?

our moral principles may, on occasions, be too rigid and biased, and our fellow feelings may help us overcome our biased principles. Moreover, in cases where our fellow-feelings are too narrow or too weak, our moral principles may help us guide our actions in the right direction.

Bad morality

a set of moral principles of which we deeply disapprove, e.g., the morality of the Nazi general Himmler.

Sympathy

Fellow feelings, e.g., compassion, gratitude

The problem of conscientiousness

the struggle to act one’s moral principles in difficult situations—this is a struggle for people with good as

well as bad morality. This problem may lead to Akrasia (weakness of the

will.)

fellow-feeling

“as when one feels pity over someone’s loneliness, or horrified compassion over his pain, or when one feels a shrinking reluctance to act in a way which will bring misfortune to someone else””

What example does John Bennet use when discussing sympathy and morality

crying child, mother and doctor. Mother sympathizes with her crying child - the mother’s desire to alleviate the child’s sickness overpowers this and allows the doctor to examine. If she had let her sympathy win then she would keep her child close and to not go anywhere near the Dr.

In this text John Bennet is writing. …

Huck’s monologue as if he were Huck

How come Huck did not tell Miss Watson about Jim? (According to Bennet’s reinactment)

Huck did not tell Miss Watson, because even though he believed it was wrong to help a runaway slave, his personal morality and feelings for Jim prevailed, leading him to protect Jim instead

• ”What did that poor old woman do to you””

• “What had poor Miss Watson done to you””

Huck’s … conflicts with his…

morality, sympathy

What is John Bennet’s argument regarding Huck?

Huck is dishonest and his “concern for Jim remains irrational.”

Huck displays…

Akrasia—goes against what he believed was right (turn Jim in)

Quote from Bennet: “ Huck doesn’t weigh up pros and cons; he simply fails to do what he believes to be right—he

isn’t strong enough.”

Why is akrasia bad morality?

Goes against one’s moral standard

Himmler’s case of bad morality…

morals won over sympathy

Bennet - “praising the stronger and more glorious course of retaining one’s sympathies while acting in violation of them.”

What did Himmler say to Kersten (Himmler’s physician)

“It is the curse of greatness that it must step over dead bodies to create new life. Yet we must. . . cleanse the soil or it will never bear fruit. It will be a great burden for me to bear.” - Himmler

“This, I submit, is the language of morality.” - Bennet

Although Himmler’s moral standards won over sympathy…

He did hold guilt and sympathy unlike his fellow SS killers did ”He suffered a variety of nervous and physical disabilities, including nausea and stomach convulsions."

“suffered from the conflict between their sympathies and their bad morality”

Edwards argues that…

“that a punishment should be exactly as bad as the crime being punished” - Bennett

Edwards belief is more tied towards…

God. He feels that sinners are to be punished in accordance with their sins, reflecting divine justice.

Edwards believes that..

Humans other than the ones God chooses (the elects) are destined for hell - God chooses the elect out of his own will and that’s it. Not good people simply just those who are chosen by God’s ““arbitrary will.”

• “All that preserves them is the mere arbitrary will, and uncovenanted unobliged forbearance of an incensed God.

Edwards believed that those who were not chosen by God deserves…

eternal punishment

• “Natural men are held in the hand of God over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it…”

What kind of people did Edwards believe deserves punishment?

Natural men (non-elect humans those not chosen by God), Sinners, Anyone not loved or chosen by God

“Justice calls aloud for an infinite punishment of their sins.” - Edwards