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Principia Ethica · Chapter
Preface to the 1922 Edition explained
G.
What happens
G. E. Moore notes that the book is reprinted without alteration except for minor corrections, as he still agrees with its main tendency and conclusions, and any substantial revision would require rewriting the entire work.
Characters to notice
- G. E. Moore
Author of the book, reaffirming his agreement with its main tendency and conclusions in 1922.
Key passages
“This book is now reprinted without any alteration whatever, except that a few misprints and grammatical mistakes have been corrected.”
The current edition is an unchanged reprint, with only minor typographical and grammatical fixes.
Moore emphasizes the fidelity of the reprint to the original text.
“It is reprinted, because I am still in agreement with its main tendency and conclusions; and it is reprinted without alteration, because I found that, if I were to begin correcting what in it seemed to me to need correction, I could not stop short of rewriting the whole book.”
I am reissuing the book because I still endorse its core arguments and direction; I chose not to revise it because any changes would lead to a complete rewrite.
Moore explains his rationale for not updating the content.