Evolution; Knowledge, Theory of; Philosophy and religion
II. THE INDUCTIONS OF MORALITY.—Those empirically-established
rules of human action which are registered as essential laws by
all civilized nations: that is to say—the generalizations of
expediency.
III. PERSONAL MORALS.—The principles of private conduct—physical,
intellectual, moral and religious—that follow from the conditions
to complete individual life: or, what is the same thing—those
modes of private action which must result from the eventual
equilibration of internal desires and external needs.
VOL. II.
IV. JUSTICE.—The mutual limitations of men’s actions necessitated
by their co-existence as units of a society—limitations, the
perfect observance of which constitutes that state of equilibrium
forming the goal of political progress.
V. NEGATIVE BENEFICENCE.—Those secondary limitations, similarly
necessitated, which, though less important and not cognizable by
law, are yet requisite to prevent mutual destruction of happiness
in various indirect ways: in other words—those minor
self-restraints dictated by what may be called passive sympathy.
VI. POSITIVE BENEFICENCE.—Comprehending all modes of conduct,
dictated by active sympathy, which imply pleasure in giving
pleasure—modes of conduct that social adaptation has induced and
must render ever more general; and which, in becoming universal,
must fill to the full the possible measure of human happiness.[5]
In anticipation of the obvious criticism that the scheme here
sketched out is too extensive, it may be remarked that an
exhaustive treatment of each topic is not intended; but simply the
establishment of _principles_, with such illustrations as are
needed to make their bearings fully understood. It may also be
pointed out that, besides minor fragments, one large division
(_The Principles of Psychology_) is already, in great part,
executed. And a further reply is, that impossible though it may
prove to execute the whole, yet nothing can be said against an
attempt to set forth the First Principles and to carry their
applications as far as circumstances permit.
The price per Number to be half-a-crown; that is to say, the four
Numbers yearly issued to be severally delivered, post free, to all
annual subscribers of Ten Shillings.
* * * * *
This Programme I have thought well to reprint for two reasons:—the one
being that readers may, from time to time, be able to ascertain what
topics are next to be dealt with; the other being that an outline of the
scheme may remain, in case it should never be completed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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