CONTENTS.

PART FIRST.

OF MORAL DISTINCTIONS IN GENERAL.

CHAPTER I.

MORAL CLASSIFICATIONS OF ACTIONS.

SECTION

1. Importance of Moral Distinctions,

2. Search for their Nature or Law,

3. Platonic Theory of Morals,

4. First Objection to it,

5. Modified Form of that Theory. Second Objection to it,

2

4

5

12. Both these Sects compelled to adopt the Idea of a

Future Retribution,

13. True Characteristic of Actions morally right and mor-

15. Human Actions the original Subject-matter of Moral

Judgment,

16. Composite Nature of Actions. Event and Motive,

17. Use of the Terms Right and Wrong, Virtuous and

21. Definition and Classification of Right Actions,

22. The Classification of Acts externally considered, de-

pendent on their Results,

23. Characteristics of Praiseworthy, Indifferent, and Wrong

Actions, restated, .

24. Proofs of those Characteristics drawn from Moral Codes, 14

25. They appertain to what are called Duties to Others.

26. They appertain to what are called Duties to Ourselves,

27. How Duties to Ourselves affect Others,

28. Application of this Idea to the Case of Imprudence,

29. To the Case of Intemperance in general,

30. To the Case of Gluttony,

31. To the Case of Intoxication,

32. To the Case of Incontinence,

33. To the Case of Economy,

34. Duties to God. Mystic Hypothesis. Its Origin and

Foundation,.

35. Origin of Religious Worship,

17

18

18

19

19

20

21

23

36. How Acts of Worship acquired the Character of Moral

Duties,

24

37. Progress of Spiritualism,

25

27

27

28

38. Mystic Theory of Morals,

39. Amalgamation of the Mystic and Selfish Theories,

40. Theory of Utility, or of Interest well understood,

41. Objections to that Theory,

42. Alleged Law of Human Action on which the Selfish

Theory is founded,

30

43. Mystic Application of the Doctrine of Selfishness to

the Deity, .

44. Paradox of Self-sacrifice thence resulting,

32

45. Divergent Schools of Semi-mystic Moralists to which

that Paradox gives rise,

32

46. Examination of the Selfish Theory,

33

47. Corrected Statement of the Law of Human Action,

48. Scholastic Notion of Happiness inconsistent with Facts, 34

49. True Sense of the Word Happiness as descriptive of

33

what is attainable,

35

54. Hopes and Fears, their Influence upon Action,

55. General Direction of human Action,

50. Necessary Connexion between Perception and Emotion, 36

51. List of simple, original Emotions,

52. Classification of Motives,

53. Law of their joint Operation, .

39

56. Pleasures and Pains of Activity. Their Agency. Wea-

riness, Ennui,

42

57. Difference in this Respect between the Child and the

Man, the Savage and the Civilized, the Educated and

the Uneducated,

58. Sentiment of Benevolence. Love, Humanity,

59. Classification of Actions as Disinterested and Selfish,

60. Ambiguous Use of the Term Self-interest,

61. Sentiment of Benevolence the Source of Moral Distinc-

62. Difference between Good and Evil in general, and Mor-

al Good and Evil,

63. Reasons of the superior Rank assigned to Emotions of

Benevolence,

64. Plausibility thence resulting to the Selfish Theory,

65. Reason why many benevolent Men adopted that Theory, 48

66. Service they have rendered to practical Morals,

67. Selfish Defenders of Disinterestedness,

68. Self-sacrificing Theory of Morals,

69. Paradoxes to which that Theory leads,

48

49

50

51

70. Required Modifications of the Disinterested Theory of

Morals,

54

71. Moral Estimate of Actions (looking to the Event) which

produce complex Results,

54

72. Moral Classification of Actions (looking to the Motive),
as Meritorious, Obligatory, Indifferent, Permissible, and
Criminal,

73. Considerations which determine this Classification stat-
ed in five Propositions,

74. Conclusions which will follow the Establishment of

these Propositions,

CHAPTER II.

LAWS OF THE OPERATION OF THE SENTIMENT OF BENEVO-
LENCE, AND OF THE OTHER PRINCIPAL EMOTIONS WHICH

MODIFY OR CONTROL IT.

1. Proposed Method of establishing and illustrating the

above five Propositions,

59

2. First Law of the Action of the Sentiment of Benevolence, 59

3. Consequences of that Law,

5. Pains ordinarily superior in Force to the Sentiment of

Benevolence,

6. Second Law of the Action of the Sentiment of Benevo-

7. Sentiment of Malevolence. Law of its Action. Anger,

Retaliation, Revenge,

8. Mutual Relations of the Sentiments of Malevolence and

Benevolence,

9. Origin of Punishments,

60

62

62

63

64

65

66

10. Variations in the Force of the Sentiment of Malevolence, 67

11. Objects of that Sentiment,

12. How it spreads,

13. It often rests upon purely fanciful Grounds,

14. Why we hate those we have injured,

15. Third Law of the Action of the Sentiment of Benevo-

lence,

70

16. Effect of visible Beauty upon Benevolence,

17. Effect upon Benevolence produced by the Voice and

Faculty of Speech,

71

18. Effect of the Sexual Sentiment upon Benevolence. Love, 72

19. Effect of Admiration upon Benevolence. Romantic Love,
Loyalty, Devotion, Indifference, Ennui, Contempt,

20. Origin of Attachments or Friendships. Benefits,

21. Effect of Benevolence upon Benevolence. Gratitude,

75

76

22. Coloring thence afforded to the Selfish Theory of Morals, 77

23. Sentiment of Self-comparison. Law of its Action,

24. Bashfulness, Pride, Vanity, Modesty, Humility,

25. Politeness, Flattery, Sycophancy, Popularity,

80

26. Various other Influences of the Sentiment of Self-com-

parison,

82

27. Government originates in it,

82

28. It constitutes the chief Motive to the Pursuit of Wealth, 83

29. Ambition, Covetousness,

30. The Sentiment of Self-comparison often coöperates with

Benevolence,

84

31. Color hence given to the Stoical Theory of Morals, 84

32. Susceptibility to the Pain of Inferiority essential to or-
dinary Virtue,

33. Desire of Superiority essential to extraordinary Virtue.

Self-respect, Emulation, Shame, Love of Reputation,

Love of Fame, Love of Glory,

34. Pleasures of Virtue and Pains of Vice. Self-applause,

Remorse,

35. Reproach owes its Power to this Sentiment,

85

86

87

87

36. Special Coöperations and Oppositions of Self-Compari-

son and Benevolence,

37. Paradoxes of Lucretius and Rochefoucault explained, 88

38. Parental Love,

39. Love of Knowledge chiefly dependent on Self-comparison, 90

40. Moral character ascribed to the Love of Knowledge, 91

41. Coöperation of the Sentiment of Self-comparison with

Malevolence. Envy, Jealousy, Magnanimity,

CHAPTER III.

91

OF CERTAIN QUALITIES OR TEMPERAMENTS, CALLED VIRTUES,

BECAUSE THEY ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE PERFORMANCE OF

BENEFICIAL ACTIONS.

1. General Description of these Qualities or Temperaments, 92

2. Wisdom, or Prudence,

3. Courage. Distinction between Moral Fear, Fear of
Shame, and Fear in general,

4. Necessity of distinguishing between Admiration and

Moral Approbation,

5. Fortitude,

6. Double Character of Courage and Fortitude, Physical

and Moral,

7. False Shame,

8. Constancy, Firmness, Steadiness, Perseverance, Tem-

per, Self-control, Patience, Fidelity,