The Data of Ethics

The opening pages present a sprawling project that seeks to complete a decades‑long System of Synthetic Philosophy. Its author explains that this first division of the ultimate work on the Principles of Morality was published early, driven by a fear that his health might fail before he could finish the whole series. He argues that contemporary moral codes have lost the authority of their supposed sacred origin, making a scientifically grounded ethic a pressing necessity.

The preface sketches the clash between those who cling to divine commandments as the source of guidance and those who fear the void when such frameworks disappear. Between these extremes lies a ground that insists a natural ethic must fill the gap, and the author urges thinkers to take up that task. He illustrates his point with the metaphor of two fathers: one who imposes harsh, unnecessary restrictions and alienates his children, and another who balances firm limits with allowance, thereby earning respect. This contrast is used to argue that morality, when freed from superstition and excessive severity, can become both attractive and effective.