496 On the Foundation of Civil Government. 



XII. Moreover as the intent or end of fociety 

 is the promotion of the happinefs of the indivi- 

 duals who connpofe it, and as the benefits of 

 fociety can extend to or be enjoyed during a 

 fart of our exiftence only— we may infer gene- 

 rally, that the means of promoting our happinefs 

 in fociety (/. e. the regulations we fubmit to 

 therein) ought to coincide with the means we 

 are to ufe for promoting our happinefs upon the 

 whole of our exiften'ce, and when political fociety 

 with refped to us, Ihall be no more. Otherwife 

 fociety, inftead of adding to our happinefs upon 

 the whole, would decreafe it, and the fole object 

 of its inftitution would be defeated. 



XIII. It is to be obferved, however, that we 

 are not permitted to do evil that good may come i 

 for any enormity might be juftified upon fuch 

 a pretejice. So that, if any perfon under an 

 idea that he is performing a duty of fuperior 

 obligation to thofe of fociety, does an injury to 

 the perfon or the property of his neighbour, it 

 will be perfedly confident with the ends of fo- 

 ciety that fuch perfon bepuniftiedj not indeed 

 under the notion of preventing his obedience 

 to the di6bates of his confcience, but upon the 

 general ground of preventing and repreffing in- 

 jurious condu6t. For without this the ends of 

 fociety could never be accompliflied, nor could 

 fociety itfeif exift; while the punifhment of the 

 perfon injuring, on the other pretence, viz. be- 



caufe 



