140 JAMES CLERK MAXWELL. [CHAP. V. 



as, if I was to question you, you could but answer my 

 questions, I leave you to question yourself and send me 

 some of the answers. 



The only regular College science that I have thought 

 of lately is Moral Philosophy. Whether it is an Oxford 

 science I know not ; but it must be, if not taught, at least 

 interesting ; so I purpose to fill up this letter with unuttered 

 thoughts (or crude), which, as they are crammed into words, 

 may appear like men new waked from sleep, who leap in 

 confusion into one another's breeches, hardly fit to be seen 

 of decent men. Then think not my words mad if their 

 clothes fit them not, for they have not had an opportunity 

 of trying them on before. 



There are some Moral Philosophers whose opinions are 

 remarkable for their general truth and good sense, but not 

 for their utility, fixity, or novelty. 



They tell you that in all your actions you ought to be 

 virtuous, that benevolence is a virtue, that lawful rulers 

 ought to be obeyed, that a man should give ear to his con- 

 science. 



Others tell you of unalterable laws of right and wrong, 

 of Eternal truth and the Everlasting fitnesses of things. 

 Others of the duty of following nature, of every virtue 

 between two vices (Aristot.), and of the golden mean. That 

 a man should do what is best on the whole (1) for himself; 

 (2) for other men only, and not himself; (3) for the whole 

 universe, including himself, and so on. Now I think that 

 the answers to the following questions should be separate 

 parts of M. Ph.: 



1. What is man ? This is the introduction, and is 

 called statical or proper Metaphysics. 



2. What are the laws of human action ? Action being 

 all that man does thought, word, deed. 



3. What are the motives of human actions ? 



4. What actions do men perform in preference to what 

 others, and why ? 



5. What is the principle by which men judge some 

 actions right, others wrong ? 



