Philosophy of Moral Feelings

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. SECTION I.

 

NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE SCIENCE OF THE MORAL FEELINGS.

 

Division of the Mental Powers into Intellectual and Moral 1

 

Harmony which ought to exist between these classes 3

 

Causes by which this harmony is interrupted,—and means

 

of counteracting them 3

 

Interest of the science of the Moral Feelings 5

 

Peculiar sources of Knowledge bearing upon it, from the

 

light of Conscience, and of Divine Revelation 7

 

SECTION II.

 

FIRST TRUTHS IN THE SCIENCE OF THE MORAL FEELINGS.

 

Analogy between First Truths, or Intuitive Principles

 

of Belief, in Intellectual, and in Moral Science 11

 

Classification of First Truths in Moral Science, as impressions

 

arising out of each other, by an obvious chain

 

of relations 16

 

1. Perception of the nature and quality of actions,

 

as just or unjust,—right or wrong;—and a

 

conviction of duties which a man owes to other men.

 

2. Conviction of the existence and attributes of a

 

Great First Cause, and Moral Governor.

 

3. Conviction of Moral Responsibility.

 

4. Impression of Future Existence.

 

Importance of these convictions, as intuitive articles of

 

belief 18

 

* * * * *

 

THE PHILOSOPHY

 

OF THE MORAL FEELINGS. Analysis of Man as a Moral Being 27

 

I. THE DESIRES—THE AFFECTIONS—and SELF-LOVE.

 

II. THE WILL.

 

III. THE MORAL PRINCIPLE, or CONSCIENCE.

 

IV. THE MORAL RELATION OF MAN TOWARDS THE DEITY.

 

* * * * * PART I.

 

THE DESIRES—THE AFFECTIONS—AND SELF-LOVE. SECTION I.

 

THE DESIRES 36

 

1. Desire of the Animal Propensities 37

 

2. Desire of Wealth—Avarice 38

 

3. Desire of Power—Ambition 39

 

4. Desire of Superiority—Emulation 40

 

5. Desire of Society 41

 

6. Desire of Esteem or Approbation 42

 

7. Desire of Knowledge 46

 

8. Desire of Moral Improvement 47

 

—Desire of Action 49

 

Importance of a Due Regulation of the Desires 50

 

SECTION II.

 

THE AFFECTIONS 53

 

I. JUSTICE 55

 

1. Justice to the Interests of others—Integrity 59

 

2. Justice to the Freedom of Action of others 59

 

3. Justice to the Reputation of others 60

 

4. Justice in estimating the Conduct and Character of others 61

 

5. Justice to the Opinions of others—Candour 62

 

6. Justice to the Feelings of others 63

 

7. Justice to the Moral Condition of others 64

 

II. COMPASSION AND BENEVOLENCE 66

 

1. Benevolence towards the Distresses of others 69

 

2. Benevolence towards the Reputation of others 70

 

3. Benevolence towards the Character and Conduct of

 

others,—including Forgiveness of Injuries 71

 

4. Benevolence towards the Feelings of others 71

 

5. Benevolence towards improving the Moral Condition

 

of others 73

 

III. VERACITY 74

 

1. The Love of Truth, in the Reception of it 76

 

2. Veracity in delivering statements,—including Sincerity 78

 

3. Truth of Purpose, or Correct fulfilment of Promises 82

 

IV. FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, AND GRATITUDE 83

 

V. PATRIOTISM 84

 

THE DOMESTIC AFFECTIONS 85

 

THE DEFENSIVE AFFECTIONS, ANGER, JEALOUSY,

 

RESENTMENT 89

 

Important Influence produced upon the Exercise of the Affections,

 

By Attention 92

 

By Habit 97

 

Feeling of Moral Approbation attached to the Exercise

 

of the Affections 100

 

Happiness arising from a due Exercise of the Affections;—Influence

 

of Temper 106

 

SECTION III.

 

SELF-LOVE 110

 

Sense in which the term is employed 111

 

Tendency of a true and Rational Self-love 111

 

Morbid Exercise of it,—Selfishness 116

 

Disinterested Conduct and Self-denial 117

 

* * * * * PART II.

 

OF THE WILL 119

 

Simple Volition, its Origin from one of the Desires or

 

Affections 119

 

Operation of Moral Causes on the Will 120

 

Nature of these Causes, and Source of the Diversity of

 

their operation in different individuals 123

 

Circumstances required for the Uniformity of their Operation:—

 

1. Knowledge 128

 

Truths of Natural and Revealed Religion.

 

2. Attention 132

 

Its influence on Moral Decisions.

 

3. Moral Habits 137

 

Origin and Progress of Derangement of Moral Harmony.

 

Influence of Habits upon Character 142

 

Means of Correcting Injurious Moral Habits 143

 

Practical Conclusions from these Principles. Important

 

Influence of Moral Habits 145

 

Necessity and Probability of Divine Aid in correcting

 

Moral Derangement 149

 

Influence of the Mental operation called Faith 152

 

* * * * *

 

PART III.

 

OF THE MORAL PRINCIPLE, OR CONSCIENCE 155

 

Proofs of the Existence of Conscience as a Distinct Principle

 

of the mind 156

 

Nature of its Operation as the Regulating Principle 157

 

Analogy between it and Reason 158

 

Its Influence in conveying an Impression of the Moral

 

Attributes of the Deity 163

 

Knowledge derived from this Source 164

 

Comparison of the Divine Attributes with the Actual

 

State of Man 167

 

Difficulties arising from this Comparison removed only

 

by the Christian Revelation 169

 

Mental Process by which the Regulating Power of Conscience

 

is Impaired or Lost 172

 

Influence of this Condition upon the Judgment in regard

 

to Moral Truth 176

 

Influence of Attention in Moral Decisions 179

 

Man’s responsibility for his belief 182

 

Important relation between Moral Emotions and

 

voluntary Intellectual Processes 183

 

APPENDIX TO PART III.

 

§ 1.—OF THE ORIGIN AND IMMUTABILITY OF MORAL

 

DISTINCTIONS AND THEORIES OF MORALS 190

 

Origin of Our Idea of Virtue and Vice 193

 

System of Mandeville 195

 

System of Clarke and Wollaston 197

 

System of Utility 198

 

Selfish System 199

 

System of Paley 201

 

Defect of these Systems in not acknowledging the

 

Supreme Authority of Conscience 206

 

Objections to the belief of a uniformity of Moral

 

Feeling which have been founded on the practices

 

of barbarous nations 216

 

System of Dr. Smith, or Theory of Sympathy 219

 

Province of Reason in Moral Decisions 222

 

Remarks on the Observations of some late

 

Writers respecting the Corruption of Conscience 227

 

§ 2.—OF THE HARMONY OF THE MORAL FEELINGS 231

 

Consistency of Character arising from this Harmony,—and

 

Defects of Character to which it is

 

opposed 237

 

* * * * * PART IV.

 

OF THE MORAL RELATION OF MAN TOWARDS THE DEITY 243

 

View of the Divine Character in reference to this Regulation 244

 

Regulation of the Moral Feelings which ought to arise out

 

of it 245

 

1. Habitual effort to cultivate a Sense of the Divine

 

Presence, and to regulate the Moral

 

Feelings and Character by it 245

 

2. Submission to the appointments of Providence 252

 

3. Sense of Moral Imperfection and Guilt, and

 

Supplication for Mercy, with Reliance on

 

Divine Aid 254

 

4. Sense of Gratitude, Affection, and Love 255

 

Conduct and Character arising out of this Condition of

 

the Moral Feelings 256

 

Means of Cultivating it 262

 

Nature and Operation of Faith 264

 

Province of Faith in the Philosophy of the Moral Feelings 269

 

Truths which are its more Immediate Object 273

 

Its Influence on the Moral Condition 276

 

Province of Faith in the Scheme of Christianity 282

 

Certain Errors regarding Faith 287

 

Harmony of Christian Truth with the Philosophy of the

 

Moral Feelings 290

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