Ethical societies
Ethical societies
What is an ethical society?

Felix Adler (1851-1933), judaism

Father, Samuel Adler, immigrated to US from Germany

Rabbi of Temple Emanu-El (Reform Judaism)

Graduated w/honors, Columbia (1870) studied at Heidelberg

1874 - Professor of Hebrew and Oriental literature, Cornell

Sermon "The Judaism of the Future" (1876) didn't mention God, shocked congregation

New York Society for Ethical Culture, 1877 - "deed, not creed"

1877 - district nursing

1878 - free kindergarten, developed into Fieldston School

1885 - Tenement House Building Company
* The belief that morality is independent of theology;
* The affirmation that new moral problems have arisen in modern industrial society which have not been adequately dealt with by the world's religions;
* The duty to engage in philanthropy in the advancement of morality;
* The belief that self-reform should go in lock step with social reform;
* The establishment of republican rather than monarchical governance of Ethical societies
* The agreement that educating the young is the most important aim.
Stanton Coit converts South Place Religious Society to South Place Ethical Scociety (London, 1888)

Adler, 1902 - chair of political and social ethics, Columbia University, taught until 1933.