The Moral Insight Josiah Royce Summary

Josiah Royce was a professor of philosophy who wrote “The moral Insight”. Royce writes about how we view our selves as better than someone else, or that we perceive ourselves to be realer than other people. We also have this point of view where we view other people as objects. This is because we are self-centered, and selfish because we believe our feelings and everything else are more powerful or even realer compared to someone else’s. However, the meaning behind Royce’s writing was unfolded when he explains that pity on someone and the little sympathy that we show are not enough to gain moral insight. So, in order to truly gain moral insights, we need to view someone else as equal to us to truly become knowledgeable and fully/ faithfully …show more content…
Shikwati states early on in article that “Africans are taught to be beggars and not to be independent.” He beliefs this to be true because of all the aid being sent over from large organizations is not actually helping Africans build up Africa. Instead the aid is in a sense handicapping Africans and in a way stealing “the spirit of entrepreneurship that [is] so desperately needed.” Therefore, this situation presented can apply to the meaning of Royce’s “The Moral Insight” because organizations and other donors feel that Africa is in such a bad state they need help and cannot fend for themselves. However, when in actuality many Africans would be able to take care of themselves if they were not handed everything and instead could work and build on their own. Except, this will not be the case unless organizations and other donors were to see the meaning presented by Royce and take it into consideration. Or as Shikwati states “if they… want to fight poverty, they should halt development aid and give Africa the [chance] to ensure its own survival.” If this was to happen then Africa would be able to thrive and stand on their own. if others could view themselves in a situation like that and cut Africa off then Africans would be able to start and turn Africa …show more content…
In Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life” speech, King gave an example of how he is not perfect because there came a time in his life when he saw a man on the side of the road. Kind admits her did not stop for a man on the side of the road. King also further admitted he did not think about this man as if it were him since he instead had only thought about himself in this situation. King realizes that he failed to think about what would happen to the man if no one ever stopped for him. This is a fitting scenario that can be applied to Royce’s meaning mentioned in his article “The moral Insight”. Royce argues that we view ourselves as better than someone else and we lack sympathy and compassion for others. Royce also believes we believe we are superior to others therefore, we put ourselves first just like King did when he saw the man standing on the side of the road. Royce tells his readers that they must gain moral insights on someone else’s situations. So, we need to view someone else as us, or put ourselves in their shoes to truly become knowledgeable and fully/ faithfully understanding, and sympathetic. Similarly, in King’s speech he called his listeners to action. King urges his listens to always be truthful and to do the right things because God sees everything so you cannot hide it, simply put the truth does