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ideals, and oftentimes in ways that undermine democratic values: “Intolerance, abuse, calling of names because of differences of opinion about religion or politics or business, as well as because of differences of race, color, wealth or degree of culture are treason to the democratic way of life.”18 Each of these activities divides communities and undermines civility, critical inquiry, and communication, all of which are necessary components of democracy. If we want healthy communities, we must work to ensure that the individuals within them can thrive. For Dewey, those activities that undermine individual and community flourishing should either be discarded or reconstructed, and those people who perform such activities should be found blameworthy.

Because we are tied together, the consequences of our ethical choices extend into the larger community. Some place more value on the environment, while others value economic growth, and regardless of our policies, all are influenced. Becoming aware of and respecting diversity does not mean that we can dismiss ethical considerations as simply being a matter of opinion. As Anthony Weston points out, “Even if moral values vary all over the map, there is no way out of some good hard thinking.”19 The philosophy of diversity and the works of Dr. Seuss call into question the normative hubris and totalizing tendencies so often present when we avoid this thinking, and in doing so they promote values of equality and openness to other ways of living without falling into relativism. Dr. Seuss’s works continually remind us of the richness of human experience. As he reminds us in the voice of Marco, “This [world] might be bigger / Than you or I know!” (Pool).

CHAPTER NINE

What Would You Do If Your

Mother Asked You? A Brief Introduction to Ethics

Jacob M. Held and Eric N. Wilson

Many of Dr. Seuss’s stories illustrate aspects of our moral lives. It’s not hard to see the moral messages reflected through the Sneetches, Horton the elephant, the Lorax, and many others. These works, as overtly ethical yet accessible to even the youngest readers, help illuminate various aspects of philosophical ethics. And the connections among many of Seuss’s stories and classical ethical theories are illuminating insofar as they help readers of all ages make sense of often difficult or seemingly impenetrable moral quandaries.

Philosophical ethics itself is the study of right and wrong. It’s our attempt to answer the question “What should I do?” There are innumerable answers to this question. For those familiar with ethics, it often seems as if there are as many ethical theories as there are ethical theorists. There are so many theories, in fact, that it can appear at times that there is no one answer that will suit all people or that could possibly be the best among so many choices. In what follows we are only going to look at a few. We’ll look at the deontology of Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism, and the virtue ethics of Aristotle. But even this diversity may raise an eyebrow or two. After all, if powerhouses like Kant, Mill, and Aristotle each have their own theory, how are we supposed to decide among them? These are supposed to be the best and brightest in the philosophical canon and they can’t agree, so how are we supposed to solve the problem? What hope is there for us?

This kind of doubt and skepticism that there is a right or wrong is often given voice in our lives when we hear someone ask “Who’s to say?” or “Who gave you the right to judge?” These types of questions evince the attitude that there is no right or wrong, it’s all just personal. This is an easy attitude to fall into; it’s all relative.

Does It Matter on What Side I Butter My Bread?

In ethics, there has been a commitment to discovering and defining “the good.” The good, for a philosopher, is synonymous with defining a fundamental set of rules or principles that equally apply to all people. Discerning right and wrong for the philosopher depends on determining the underlying structure of morality and bringing