PHILOSOPHY, MORAL. 



would be left to those who had thus cul- 

 tivated the extensive affections, and con- 

 sequently the means of removing it must 

 be most materially diminished. Thirdly, 

 it would leave no rule for conduct upon 

 which any one could act. If we are to 

 be determined in our acts of benevolence, 

 particularly in cases of immediate urgen- 

 cy, merely by the consideration of the 

 utility of the individual to society, our 

 lives would be a continual series of cal- 

 culation, and, in general, of erroneous 

 calculation. Who is there capable of 

 accurately appreciating the worth of the 

 individual? Our ideas are, in general, 

 formed merely upon the appearances 

 which strike our attention, and force us 

 to observe them. The silent efficacy of 

 example and private exertions to remove 

 misery, and still more to remove or pre- 

 vent vice, the parent of misery, are in ge- 

 neral known only to Him who seeth in 

 secret. Even in cases where much is 

 obvious, what diversity shall we find 

 in opinion ? and where the co-operation 

 of individuals for the benefit of others is 

 necessary, how improbable that they 

 should have formed the same standard. 



87. But admit that the cases are clear, 

 that the person whom we are about to 

 leave to death is, obviously and decisive- 

 ly, a less important member of society 

 than he whom we attempt to save, if we 

 violate none of those feelings which rise 

 up in the human frame altogether indepen- 

 dently of the will of the individual, there 

 can be no hesitation ; but suppose that 

 our proposed conduct will violate them 

 let it first be considered, that they are 

 not only necessary to the culture, nay 

 even to the formation of individual bene- 

 volence, but to the well ordering, perhaps 

 to the very existence of society. Take 

 the strongest case, suppose the filial and 

 parental affections to be annihilated, (and 

 it is absurd to justify and lay down as 

 just, that conduct which, if not counter- 

 acted by the eternal laws of our frame, 

 would lead to such annihilation, if that 

 annihilation itself be not an object of de- 

 sire), suppose these affections annihilated, 

 and the heart shrinks from the picture. 

 The claims of the helpless infant upon 

 the parent would be rejected ; and, if en- 

 larged views of duty to society did not 

 induce the parent to think that he had 

 better remove from existence a being 

 who would be a burden to others and 

 himself, and who probably would not be 

 educated so as to be wise and happy, 

 there would arise constant discourage- 

 ments, which would effectually prevent 



those steady uniform endeavours to culti- 

 vate the mental and moral powers, which 

 are necessary to attain the object ; and if 

 the evil did not soon eradicate itself, man, 

 if he existed, would gradually sink to the 

 level of the brute. But if the parental 

 affections existed not, neither would the 

 filial. Here it is that the rudiments of 

 good-will are formed in the infant breast ; 

 here it is that the being who is to love all 

 mankind begins his career of love : here 

 is the source of that ardent disinterested 

 benevolence which carries the individual 

 out of himself, which leads him to forget 

 himself and all his immediate interests, 

 and view only the good of others. Can it 

 be supposed that this highly cultivated 

 benevolence is in opposition to that more 

 confined affection from which it sprung I 

 No, we see it modifying its direction, but 

 never annihilating it. On the contrary, it 

 may be justly affirmed, that the confined 

 affections become more inwrought in the 

 frame, as universal benevolence becomes 

 more and more a ruling feature of the 

 mind ; and it must, for universal bene- 

 volence is but the sum total of all the con- 

 fined affections, extended by the hand of 

 piety. 



88. We have before mentioned, that 

 there are two considerations upon which 

 we ought to act, in cases where we are 

 left to be guided by the views of the con- 

 sequences of our actions. The first is, 

 what would be the consequence if our 

 conduct became general ? the next, what 

 is the probability of this extension of our 

 conduct ? Wherever the claims of the 

 confined affections are in direct opposi- 

 tion to the dictates of the enlightened 

 conscience, there can be no room for 

 doubt, though we ought to be careful 

 that our departure from their claims not 

 only is, but, if possible, shall appear to 

 be. demanded by these dictates ; but we 

 are, even in cases which, independently 

 considered, are obvious, to take into con- 

 sideration the evil that will result from a 

 breach of those affections. There are 

 some affections, which not all the efforts 

 of philosophy could succeed in eradi- 

 cating ; vice may do it, and heedless levi- 

 ty, but the calm exertion arising from a 

 view to utility never could. We refer to 

 the parental affections. Hence it is pro- 

 bable, that a sacrifice of them to the pub- 

 lic good, would be productive of much less 

 injury, than a sacrifice of the filial affec- 

 tions, which are less urgent and lasting. 

 Hence, though we should condemn th 

 parent who left his son to perish in the 

 flames, while he endeavoured to save the 



