Unhappily the masses are intellectually and esthetically impoverished. Vulgarity is largely mixed in their pleasures, and the pastimes are in many respects not elevating or even decent. Human characteristics appear respectable in work, but in play they often offend refined taste.
By way of illustration, if we look at the sun, or other intensely bright light, our eyes are blinded for a time, so that sensitiveness to ordinary objects is temporarily lost. All violent stimuli deaden the nerves. So also with amusements. Feminine qualities appear in the worst light when diverted from their proper channels. Unquestionably our women often pursue the ornamental beyond proper limitations, extravagantly if they can, or cheaply with gilt and sham. Beauty, of course, should appear without manifest over anxiety to please, while spurious makeshifts are repulsive. Very naturally immoderate attention to these affairs, requiring such great expenditures of time, effort, and money, hampers the power of responding to less intense stimuli. All these errors in judgment and taste are opposed to good morals, and lead to envy, jealousy, loss of respect, and not to happiness.
Nothing stands in the way of man's progress but himself. Vicious pleasures will be pursued until it can be shown that beneficent pleasures and ambitions result in more happiness. But it seems rational to follow what is to our interest and health, rather than to steep ourselves in the pathology of life and morals. Not to quibble over philosophical systems, the path which leads to happiness is the virtuous one. If disease and morbid conduct brought the "greatest good to the greatest number", then disease and morbid conduct would be morally good. Surely expediency admonishes us to smooth the path over the rough ground in the way best suited to ourselves and to those who are to use the same path hereafter. If it is better to make it run through devastation and dangers, and to avoid pleasant and ennobling views and a breathable atmosphere, then ethics is reversed.
Duty simply will not be done unless interest coincide with it, and even then only those who are rational and f oresighted will be guided by reference to the final purpose. If a man follow relative ethics, and be content with half measures, then he will do as others do, play close to the danger line, not be very serious, and relax occasionally. And no doubt he may derive from such conduct a considerable amount of fun. But fun, after all, does not reach lofty heights. Perhaps it is permissible to take the risks, even though wife and children share in them, and in spite of the fact that physicians and moral teachers do not call them risks but certainties. Perhaps the profligate will play a useful part in civilization, and perhaps one can draw a straight line with a notched ruler. Possibly the moral life is too good and fanciful, even though it is said to be the normal standard. And perhaps a man with defective eyesight can develop into a sharpshooter, and perhaps one can describe a circle with a pencil held by an elastic cord.
But ideal ethics is more energetic, and it employs methods which are true models, just as the good draughtsman makes use of the most highly perfected instruments. Here imperfect plans of operation are considered useless, because they positively will not accomplish high ends. With ideal ethics in view, a man's legitimate desires are recreation, the right to work, and the accomplishment of something of value. It is right to desire to love and be loved, to have friendships, to have useful education, a happy home life, and the privilege of serving one's country in peace or war. Great injustice is done if one be not taught right habits in his youth, for then he will fall when assailed, and fail to rise when overthrown.
The prevailing mode of teaching ethics to the masses is ineffective, particularly so in the case of sexual ethics. The fault is that there is a mere gallop through it, with nothing but a hurried survey under dim illumination. It should be taught systematically and positively, and not informally and incidentally. Teachers come forward with insufficient data, and if they are unfamiliar with any branch of the subject they fill the gaps with pious quotations and moralizing exhortations. Half impressions received in this way cannot linger in the mind, and the results are mournful. The question is very big, and enough trouble has not been taken in answering it.