The Philosophy of the Moral FeelingsAbercrombie, John
Religion
The Philosophy of the Moral Feelings
Abercrombie, John
Ethics
moral emotions are not properly the objects of volition, it is thus that
a man may incur the deepest moral guilt in the want of them.
The subject also leads to conclusions of the greatest importance
respecting the principles on which we ought to conduct religious
instruction, particularly in regard to the cultivation of religious
emotions. It reminds us of the important law of our nature, that all
true cultivation of religious emotion must be founded upon a sound
culture of the understanding in the knowledge of religious truth, and a
careful direction of the powers of reasoning and judging, both to its
evidences and its tendencies. All impulse that does not arise in this
manner can be nothing more than an artificial excitement of feeling,
widely different from the emotion of a regulated mind. Such a system
generates wild enthusiasm;--and the principle is of peculiar and
essential importance in the education of the young. In then susceptible
minds religious emotion is easily produced, and, by a particular
management, may be fostered for a time. But those who have been trained
in this manner are little qualified to meet the collisions of active
life, and we need not wonder if they should make shipwreck of a faith
which has not been founded in knowledge.
* * * * *
Before leaving the subject of the Moral Principle, there are two points
closely connected with it which remain to be noticed. The one relates
to the origin and immutability of moral distinctions, and, in connexion
with this, a class of speculations which hold a conspicuous place in the
history of Ethical science, under the name of Theories of Morals. The
other refers to a certain harmony or principle of arrangement, which the
different moral feelings ought to preserve towards each other in a
well-regulated mind.
Sec. I.--OF THE ORIGIN AND IMMUTABILITY OF MORAL DISTINCTIONS AND THEORIES
OF MORALS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account