Morals as a Factor in Organic Evolution 653 



morals and religion is to be found in "Questions of Belief" 

 (205). From the earnest and aspiring articles by Frederic 

 Harrison on "The Soul and Future Life," to the direct and 

 incisive closing chapters by Mallock entitled "Is Life Worth 

 Living," the reader is carried through bewildering mazes of 

 hope and despair, of dogma and free inquiry, of scientific reason- 

 ing and illogical assertion. If a way out of the mazes is to 

 be found, the writer considers that such can alone be secured 

 by adoption of the historical and continuity method of sci- 

 entific inquiry. 



While slight efforts were made earlier, it is to Hume that 

 we owe the first earnest and successful attempt to study morals, 

 in unbiased manner, and to place such a study on a proper 

 basis. His standpoint is well expressed in the following words : 

 "Men are now cured of their passion for hypotheses and sys- 

 tems in natural philosophy, and will hearken to no arguments 

 but those which are derived from experience. It is full time 

 they should attempt a like reformation in all moral disquisi- 

 tions; and reject every system of ethics, however subtle and 

 ingenious, which is not founded on fact and observation." 

 (Hume, Philos. Works IV (1854) 235). 



In his analysis of moral sentiment he shows that such orig- 

 inates in the mind of man as a utilitarian measure. For primi- 

 tive man, comparing the causes that produced a sense of joy 

 or sorrow, benevolence or selfishness, freedom or tyranny, 

 justice or injustice in himself when dealing with others, grad- 

 ually transferred to and expected of his fellows such treat- 

 ment as he felt to be productive of good, pleasant, happy, 

 and successful feelings in himself; while he felt it to be his 

 duty and even necessity to accord such treatment to his fel- 

 lows in return, so that the general well-being of the social 

 machinery might be ensured. Then and only then did a 

 satisfied response feeling take possession of him. 



Succeeding to Hume, and following him in most princii)les, 

 was Jeremy Bentham, who by his more extended writings, 

 and by his showing the application of Hume's moral principles 

 to the regulation of human conduct, from that of the unit in- 



