Concept of Morals - Walter T. Stace

In the article “The Concept of Morals”, Walter T. Stace argues the ethical absolutists view of moral is concrete and does not change over time. He is able to effectively develop his argument by using rhetorical emphasis, introducing views of our ancestors and defining what morality really is.

Throughout the passage, Stace uses rhetorical emphasis such as synonyms to describe the same thing in a variety of religions. In a number of places in the text, he uses these synonyms to show that different religions have the same idea. At the beginning of the article, Stace emphasizes his reasoning through synonyms such as “cannibalism” and “abomination” which mean the same thing in England and Africa respectively. In this way, he persuades the reader that these views were present around the world under different names and that they still exist currently.

Not only does Stace use rhetorical emphasis, in many places he invokes the point of view of our ancestors. In various places in the article, Stace carefully weaves in references of famous ancestors to strengthen his argument. Near the middle of the article, after Stace has provided many lines of argument, he becomes more serious and analytical and presents the view of ancestors such as “the Earth is flat” to reveal how ancestors believed what seem to be right due to a lack of knowledge. As such, he shows that our ancestors’ morals have not changed but only ours because we have received much more information.

Finally, Stace defines what morality is to reinforce the reasoning of his argument. In a number of places in the text, he provides support for the idea that morality does not change. Near the end of the article, after Stace has provided the reader with a strong argument, he reveals the definition: “its principals are real truths about what men have learned.” In this way, he communicates the idea that a person’s morality never changes but a person from the generation before