Intro

[ClaraBelle]

Beth-In-UK wrote: "It does rather beg the question about how we develop morality in the first place! Personally, I'd like to think humans have an 'inbuilt' morality, that derives, fundamentally, from a sense of 'empa..."

Agree with you on Emma’s doing harm and how her father only encourages her.
My opinion is that morality comes from the Bible and a relationship with Jesus.

[Beth-In-UK]

A religious basis for morality certainly removes the problem! I'd say my take (or perhaps only 'hope'?) fits into a religious explanation, simply by giving a mechanism (ie, divine creation) for how the 'inbuilt' sense of morality appeared in the first place!

I do (going off the subject of Emma a bit!) believe profoundly that it is essential that 'we' (ie, 'Humanity') cling with all our strength to the ability of all human beings to 'be good' - if we don't, the danger is it makes it easier to throw in the towel on wanting a 'good society' and despairing. (And Despair, from a theological point of view, is the Devil's Best Friend!!!!)

Perhaps the saddest thing about Mr Wodehouse (returning to Emma!), is that he is a kindly, loving father, caring very deeply for Emma, and wanting the very best for her (as he defines 'best' of course!), which is more than can be said for some of Austen's other heroine's father - Sir Walter Eliot is a rotten father, end of (openly despising Anne); Fanny Price's father is pretty useless and almost totally unconcerned about his own daughter (or any of them!); and Mr Bennet is 'culpably negligent' in his irresponsible attitude towards his younger daughters (though overall not bad towards Jane and Lizzie, and certainly treats Lizzie as his intellectual equal, which is good).

But I guess it goes to show, re Mr Wodehouse, that love alone is not enough to make a really good father, and, as you say, his uncritical attitude towards Emma provides no check for her behaviour, and does her no service at all. In that sense, he does, at the least, 'permit' her to behave so high-handedly, even if he does not actively encourage her (ie, by way of, say, behaving in such a way himself)