THE MORAL SENSE. $21 



some good. This point is universally agreed upon 

 by all schools, though there is the widest difference 

 of opinion as to what this good may be. Some 

 would call it a happiness, some pleasure, to the in- 

 dividual ; some would say it is the good of the race, 

 or the tribe ; some that it is the greatest good to 

 the greatest numbers ; some would say it is the 

 good of both the individual and the race ; some re- 

 gard it as temporal, some as eternal, happiness. But 

 though varied in their idea of good, all justify the 

 Tightness of actions by their producing more good 

 than their opposite. That this is so, will be evident 

 by supposing that something now considered a crime 

 should be found to be for the permanent good of 

 the world, when it would cease to be a crime, and 

 be regarded as a meritorious action. Murder is 

 believed to be wrong, yet most persons will consider 

 the execution of criminals right if it be productive 

 of the best results. 



Starting now with this principle, that any action 

 to be morally right must be productive of good, it 

 is claimed that the habit of regulating life by right 

 actions would be gradually developed by natural 

 selection. All animals have instincts and impulses 

 of various kinds, some of which are of use and some 

 of which are doubtless of direct injury. For the 

 bird who cannot endure the rigor of a northern 

 winter, the instinct to migrate is doubtless of great 

 importance. In a modified sense, therefore, the 

 bird ought to migrate. Now, of these various 

 instincts, some are stronger than others, so that 

 when they come in contact the stronger ones 



