1880.] Natural Science and Morality. 461 
happiness of the individual is promoted by the community 
in many important respects. 
There cannot be the slightest fear of any principle here 
by which the pursuit by each individual of his own happiness 
could take place at the expense of that of the community; 
for since one of the most important elements in the happi- 
ness of the individual is the good will or friendship of his 
fellow men, he could not be said to be “pursuing his happi- 
ness” in forfeiting this; and since any ill-considered attempt 
to further one’s happiness at the expense of others, is in- 
stantly felt by them and retaliated upon by the withdrawal 
of friendship (or the more adtive reproof of the penal code); 
this, therefore, by infallibly teaching the individual that the 
attempted pursuit of happiness at the expense of the commu- 
nity is in reality a violation of self-interest (or opposed to 
his happiness), would infallibly bring his proceedings to a 
check. Thus a self-righting principle in the moral world 
(much in analogy to the self-corredfion of the equilibrium of 
the moving parts of a system under the great kinetic theory) 
exists, by which the individual happiness is made alone con- 
sistent with the greatest happiness of the greatest number.* 
In fadt, morality is seen to contain that essential element 
* How, indeed, could the greatest happiness of the greatest number be 
secured, if each of the units of that number (the individual) negledted the 
pursuit of his own happiness ? In fadt, since the more an individual is happy, 
the greater is the happiness he inevitably sheds around him; so in this sense it 
may be considered almost a “ duty ” for the individual to be happy. It is 
certain that the highest ideal of morality can never be reached without. It 
may be observed, that the energy of the automatic corredtion in the moral 
world, is always proportional to the disturbance (as in the physical world under 
the kinetic theory). Thus the more an individual attempts to further his own 
happiness at the expense of others, the more violent is the corredtion or recoil 
which adts to diminish his happiness — so keeping him in check. In an analogous 
way, the more the equilibrium of a gaseous body is disturbed by some molecules 
acquiring excessive velocities, the greater is the tendency of the surrounding 
molecules to check the disturbance (or to restore equilibrium). At the same 
time it is well to keep distindtly in view, that the existence of the community 
does not, on the whole, tend to diminish individual happiness, but (on the con- 
trary) distindtly to increase it : since the pleasures of sociability are among the 
greatest. There is, therefore, no restridtion of liberty here ; for an individual, 
even if he had his choice, would not wish to exist entirely alone (indeed, 
solitary confinement is considered one of the worst of punishments). The 
community increase the happiness of the individual, and (inversely) the 
happinesss of the individual diffuses itself around him. Thus the conditions 
for a perfedt harmony are seen to exist. It is only the blundering against 
self-interest, owing to ignorance and false sedtarian dodtrine, that causes the 
occasional discord. The knowledge of self-interest — or of the conditions for 
individual happiness — being the highest achievement of knowledge (as the final 
end of morality) ; it is scarcely to be expedled that this should be reached yet, 
though signs of a rapid advance are not wanting. For the progress of science, 
by enlightening ignorance, will thereby remove the main cause of unhappiness. 
This may be still further facilitated as the public gradually come to have a 
juster appreciation of their true friends. 
