92 THE CUBED OF SCIENCE, RELIGIOUS AND MORAL. 



case he would have suffered greater pain from a contrary 

 course of action, in the stings of his outraged conscience. 

 Still less is there any objection in the fact that a be- 

 nevolent man often foregoes the means of happiness for 

 the sake of others, since, as Butler has shown, there is 

 in this case a distinct and positive pleasure secured, much 

 greater than the possible amount foregone, benevolence, 

 both as a frame of mind and in the accomplishment of 

 its aims, bringing its own satisfaction and reward more 

 surely than any other active principle. In all these 

 seemingly exceptional cases, as in all other cases, man 

 follows pleasure, satisfaction, happiness of some species ; 

 whether or no his happiness is inclusive or exclusive of 

 that of others ; whether he prefers the near and sure, or 

 the distant and larger but more doubtful satisfaction ; 

 whether he pursues it directly or circuitously ; and 

 whether, finally, he does or does not secure this invariable 

 end of his pursuit and aim of his being. He follows 

 pleasure, happiness, well-being, let us call it by what 

 names we please, and be the happiness certain or doubtful, 

 near or far off, narrowly and entirely selfish or including 

 in it the happiness of others ; and all this remains true, 

 though, owing to the severe conditions of existence and 

 the evils of his environment, man must more frequently 

 direct his efforts to the diminution of his pains than to 

 the increase of his positive happiness. 



Each individual, then, necessarily seeks his own well- 

 being ; and within limits set by law and conscience, 

 which prescribe that he shall not lessen in certain cases 

 the well-being of others, he is justified, nay, further, he 

 is to a large extent compelled to seek it by the strongest 

 compulsion, or cease to exist. And often, in seeking our 

 own legitimate life and happiness, we are further com- 

 pelled to act in ways that must inevitably subtract from 



