THE MORALITY OF HAPPINESS, 825 



ral consummation of the beneficent work which was initiated by Frank- 

 lin one hundred and thirty years ago. Without this instrument the 

 lightning-conductor is a hopeful and very generally helpful expedi- 

 ent. But, with the galvanometer, it is now assuredly competent to 

 take rank as a never-failing protection. — Edinburgh Meview, 



THE MORALITY OF HAPPIOTISS. 



Br THOMAS FOSTER. 



Closing Remarks. 



IT remains only now that I should consider the general conclusions 

 toward which our discussion of the subject of happiness as a guide 

 to conduct may appear to have led us. 



Let me note, yet once more, that those have entirely misappre- 

 hended the whole drift of this series of papers who imagine, as many 

 still seem to do, that my subject has been the morality of being happy, 

 the propriety of seeking after happiness. The mistake appears so ab- 

 surd, when the nature of the reasoning I have advanced is considered, 

 that it would seem hardly worth while to correct it, seeing that no one 

 who could fall into such a mistake could (one would imagine) in the 

 least profit by any explanation or correction. Yet the mistake has 

 been made by several who are clearly not devoid of capacity alike to 

 render and to receive a reason. I have, therefore, felt bound to cor- 

 rect it as far as possible, and, as several letters recently received show 

 that the error is still entertained, I have now to correct it afresh. Let 

 me explain, then, that the object of these papers has been to show 

 what sort of moral law is likely to arise, and what law appears actually 

 to have arisen and to be in progress of formation, when the guide 

 of conduct is the increase of happiness — individual happiness, and the 

 happiness of those around us, with due regard to the proper apportion- 

 ment of altruistic and egoistic happiness. I have not examined such 

 questions as. What is happiness ? What kind of happiness is worthi- 

 est ? and so forth. I have taken, as included in the term " happiness," 

 all the various forms of pleasurable emotion of which the human race 

 is susceptible, while all the various forms of painful emotion to which 

 we are exposed have come naturally into consideration as all involving 

 greater or less diminution of happiness. With the development of the 

 human race, or of any part of the human race, in one direction or in 

 another (for development is multiform), we find that ideas about pleas- 

 ure and pain become modified in various ways. And it has been a 

 special part of our subject to consider how the lower forms of pleas- 

 ure, those related first to the physical gratification of self, and next 

 those related specially to self but otherwise of higher type, give place 



