Abstract

The present essay attempts to establish a naturalistic theory for the pursuit of ideals. It is argued that "the necessary condition for the fulfillment of human life" lies in the pursuit of science, morality, and art. After setting forth the view of man as a product of nature with characteristic traits of symbolic response, plasticity of drives, consciousness, and self as a personality, a general chapter is devoted to the discussion of ideals. On this theme, Krikorian expounds a "contextualistic naturalistic" thesis that regards "ideals as natural aspirations that function in a variety of contexts." The crucial question deals with the criteria for evaluating competing ideals. Four criteria are suggested: 1) "firm roots in human nature," 2) universality of scope, 3) personal appeal, and 4) the pragmatic test or "persistence through time." It is not clear how these alleged criteria can yield rational comparative evaluation, since no careful exposition or arguments are offered for the acceptability of these criteria.