237 



and in politics generally, is too extensive to admit of adequate discussion 

 here ; but the following brief statement of the principles applying to the 

 subject will, perhaps, be sufficient for our present purpose. (/) There is in 

 some way generated in every man, as it were, a code of moral convictions, 

 or principles, by which, in ordinary cases, he instantaneously, and with- 

 out reflection, judges his own actions and those of others to be right or 

 wrong. There is also in every man a faculty — whether innate, or acquired, 

 it is unnecessary here to inquire — by which he perceives the duty or moral 

 necessity of conforming to the right ; and this conception is accompanied 

 by sentiments of approbation or disapprobation with regard to his own 

 actions and those of others, and with regard to the former, the sentiment 

 of conscious rectitude or remorse. The combination of these moral con- 

 victions, with the faculty of perceiving the duty of conforming to them, 

 and the accompanying sentiments, together constitute what is called con- 

 science — the existence of which, whatever diflference of opinion there may 

 be as to its nature, cannot be denied. It is this which constitutes to every 

 man the proper standard or test of right and wrong by which his conduct 

 — at least with regard to matters concerning himself alone — is, or ought 

 to be, governed. 



Men, however, acquire their moral convictions to a great extent from 

 education and association with others ; or, in other words (as indicated 

 by the etymology of the term " morality " and kindred terms), from cus- 

 tom ; and this is to be regarded, not as accidental, but as the result of the 

 law of his nature. Hence, every aggregation of people have a morality, 

 to some extent, peculiar to themselves, and the moral principles of one 

 age or nation are somewhat different from those of another. But under 

 all these diversities there is always a substantial conformity with respect 

 to fundamentals, and especially, in every nation or people, there is 

 always a body of moral principles, universally or almost universally 

 recognized, which becomes embodied in the language and habitual 

 thoughts of the people, and wrought, as it were, into the conscience, 

 o every individual. It is this which constitutes the positive or received 

 morality (mores) or, as the Greeks call it, nomos, of a nation or people ; 

 and it cannot be doubted that in all questions of common concern it 

 should be held to be of paramount authority ; and this for three reasons. 

 For, first, the positive morality of the present age is the result of the 

 never-ending struggle of mankind to realize theoretical morality — a 

 struggle to which, from the beginning of history, the highest intellect and 

 conscience of the race, have been consecrated — and it, therefore, carries 

 with it the strongest presumption of its truth ; secondly, no reason, 

 except, where applicable, that of necessity, can be assigned why the con- 

 science of one man or set of men should be forced upon others of different 

 convictions ; and, hence, in political affairs, there is no alternative between 

 the acceptance of this standard, or of submission to arbitrary power ; and 

 hence, also, free government is possible only to the extent that this gen- 

 eral conscience, or consensus of moral conviction, is developed ; and, 



PEOC. AMEK. PH. LOS. SOC. XXXIV. 148. 2 E. PRINTED OCT. 5, 1895. 



