1 62 Mr. Buckle's Fallacies. [ix. 



truth with feeling, the intellectual with the emotional 

 part of our nature. He seems to forget the distinc- 

 tion between knowing in what duty consists, and 

 having the intention to perform it. But it is alto- 

 gether one thing to wish to do right, and another 

 thing to know what it is right to do, as many a luck- 

 less wight finds out to his cost. Farther on Mr. 

 Buckle recognises the distinction clearly enough. 



It would, however, be rather unfortunate than 

 otherwise for Mr. Buckle's main argument, if he 

 could succeed in showing that " the sole essentials of 

 morality have been known for thousands of years." 

 For if it were true that men knew what was right 

 — that they were acquainted with all the laws to 

 which our conduct ought to conform — in ancient times 

 as well as at the present day ; and that they have 

 nevertheless advanced in the practice of morality ; 

 we should be obliged to conclude that — as the know- 

 ledge has remained stationary — it must have been the 

 development of moral feeling and the increase of 

 o-ood intentions alone which could have occasioned 

 the progress. The contrast is really between moral 

 truths and moral feelings. So that, if Mr. Buckle 

 had succeeded in proving that "moral knowledge" 

 does not advance, and should at the same time suc- 

 ceed in his attempt to prove that " moral feeling " 



