Chapter 2 (40 -52)

Christian Morality and Its Practice

Beliefs vs. Actions

• Christians espouse various moral teachings, such as:

  • Blessed are the poor and humble.

  • Easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

  • Judge not, lest ye be judged.

  • Love thy neighbor as thyself.

  • If someone takes your cloak, give him your coat also.

  • Take no thought for the morrow.

  • To be perfect, sell all you have and give to the poor.

• Although Christians express belief in these doctrines, Mill argues there is often a gap between belief and practice.

  • They believe to the extent of social convenience and personal behavior norms.

  • Doctrines may serve as tools for justification rather than genuine conviction.

Early Christianity vs. Modern Practice

• Early Christians displayed a stronger adherence to these principles, facilitating the religion's expansion.

  • Their love and communal support for one another made a notable impression on outsiders.

  • Unlike today, the tenets were lived out with deep conviction.

• Mill suggests the primary reason for Christianity's stagnation in modern times is the lack of genuine adherence to its moral maxims.

The Danger of Assumed Truths

• Mill discusses the risk individuals face when acting upon doctrines without deep understanding—often, these are merely accepted as truisms.

  • Many truths go unexamined and are often realized only through painful personal experience.

  • The challenge lies in the tendency for people to stop questioning once an opinion is widely accepted or assumed true.

The Importance of Challenge and Debate

• Controversy is a vital component of intellectual evolution.

  • Lack of dissent leads to stagnation in understanding and belief.

• First, silenced opinions might be true, leading to potential infallibility in the dominant view.

• Second, the majority opinion often lacks the whole truth, and dissent can reveal these gaps.

  • Every doctrine's meaning can be lost if it is not continually debated.

Socratic Method & Education

• Mill advocates reintroducing a method of debate similar to the Socratic dialogues to encourage critical thinking in education.

  • Presently, there is a lack of structured controversies in education, leading to complacency among learners.

Diversity of Opinion

• Diversity in opinion allows for a more rounded comprehension of truths, as competing ideas often highlight different aspects of reality.

  • Mill affirms that significant advancements occur through understanding the full context, including minority opinions.

• There is a need for dialogue that embraces diverse perspectives—not merely a submission of one accepted truth over another.

Role of Opposition

• Effective discourse often requires a balance of contrasting views, which keeps individual beliefs dynamic and evolving.

  • Without the challenge from dissenting views, dominant opinions may devolve into dogmatism.

Conclusion

• Mill concludes that for humanity to thrive, intellectual debate must remain uncurbed.

  • The true value of an opinion is only realized when it is contested and examined thoroughly.

Implications for Ethics and Morality

• Mill critiques Christian morality and its development through history.

  • He argues it is incomplete and too often reacted to the cultures of the time, leading to a lack of proactive moral structures.

• Criticism of established doctrine is necessary for moral growth, asserting that moral systems should not suppress unorthodox approaches to ethics.

  • Additionally, modern interpretations of Christianity have been largely reactionary rather than actively progressive, often compromising deeper moral truths.