APPENDIX. 67 
later times, have treated the fubje€&t with the greateft fuccefs, 
are they who have followed moft clofely the footfteps of the 
Greek and the Roman philofophers. The theoretical quettion, 
too, concerning the eflence of virtue, or the proper olject of mo- 
ral approbation, was a favourite topic of difcuffion in the an- 
cient {chools. The queftion concerning the principle of moral 
approbation, though not entirely of modern origin, has been 
chiefly agitated fince the writings of Dr Cupworrs, in oppo- 
fition to thofe of Mr Hosszs ; and it is this queftion accord- 
ingly, (recommended, at once, by its novelty and difficulty to 
the curiofity of {peculative men), that has produced moft of 
the theories which charaéterife and diftinguifh from each other 
the later fyftems of moral philofophy. 
Ir was the opinion of Dr Cupwortu and alfo of Dr CLARKE, 
that moral diftinctions are perceived by that power of the mind 
which diftinguifhes truth from falfehood. This fyftem it was 
one great object of Dr Hurcueson’s philofophy to refute, and 
in oppofition to it, to fhew, that the words Right and Wrong 
exprefs certain agreeable and difagreeable qualities in adtions, 
which it is not the province of reafon but of feeling to per- 
ceive ; and to that power of perception which renders us fut. 
ceptible of pleafure or of pain from the view of virtue or of 
vice, he gave the name of the Moral Senfe. His reafonings 
upon this fubje& are in the main acquiefced in, both by Mr 
Hume and Mr Smirn; but they differ from him in one im- 
portant particular,—Dr HutcuEson plainly fuppofing, that the 
moral fenfe is a fimple principle of our conititution, of which 
no account can be given; whereas the other two philofophers 
have both attempted to analyfe it into other principles more ge- 
neral. Their fyftems, however, with refpect to it are very 
different from each other. According to Mr Hume, all the 
qualities which are denominated virtuous, are ufeful either to 
ourfelves or to others, and the pleafure which we derive from 
the view of them is the pleafure of utility. Mr Smirs, with- 
(I 2) out 
Account of 
Dr Smith. 
