422 LOGIC OP THE MORAL SCIENCES. 



racier is formed for him, and not by him ; therefore his wishing 

 that it had heen formed differently is of no use ; he has no 

 power to alter it. But this is a grand error. He has, to a 

 certain extent, a power to alter his character. Its being, in 

 the ultimate resort, formed for him, is not inconsistent with its 

 heing, in part, formed by him as one of the intermediate agents. 

 His character is formed by his circumstances (including among 

 these his particular organization) ; but his own desire to mould 

 it in a particular way, is one of those circumstances, and by 

 no means one of the least influential. We cannot, indeed, 

 directly will to be different from what we are. But neither 

 did those who are supposed to have formed our characters, 

 directly will that we should be what we are. Their will had 

 no direct power except over their own actions. They made 

 us what they did make us, by willing, not the end, but the 

 requisite means ; and we, when our habits are not too inve- 

 terate, can, by similarly willing the requisite means, make 

 ourselves different. If they could place us under the influence 

 of certain circumstances, we, in like manner, can place our- 

 selves under the influence of other circumstances. We are 

 exactly as capable of making our own character, if we will, as 

 others are of making it for us. 



Yes (answers the Owenite), but these words, "if we will," 

 surrender the whole point : since the will to alter our own 

 character is given us, not by any efforts of ours, but by 

 circumstances which we cannot help ; it comes to us either 

 from external causes, or not at all. Most true : if the Owenite 

 stops here, he is in a position from which nothing can expel 

 him. Our character is formed by us as well as for us; but 

 the wish which induces us to attempt to form it is formed for 

 us ; and how ? Not, in general, by our organization, nor 

 wholly by our education, but by our experience ; experience 

 of the painful consequences of the character we previously 

 had : or by some strong feeling of admiration or aspiration, 

 accidentally aroused. But to think that we have no power of 

 altering our character, and to think that we shall not use our 

 power unless we desire to use it, are very different things, and 

 have a very different effect on the mind. A person who does 



