624 K A 
•with fufficient awe and reverence that Being who created 
ns, and endowed' ns with a Practical Reafon, not only as 
a means of Knowing all our Duties, but alfo for-the pur¬ 
pose of executing them all. How can we fufficiently re¬ 
vere that Power who is the real Caufe that we have an 
Idea at all, and who has given us Practical Reafon as a 
foundation for the Moral Law. This contemplation 
leads the mind naturally to the Idea of Religion ; and 
Reafon proves that it is a Duty of Man to himfelf to have 
Religion. 
The firffc commandment of all Duties of Man towards 
himfelf is, “Search, penetrate into thyfelf according to 
thy moral nature, that is, into thy heart, whether it be 
good or bad, whether the fource of thy actions be pure 
or impure.” This diving into the depths of the heart, fo 
difficult to bo fathomed, is the beginning of all human 
wifdom. And, in order that man (hould harmonize with 
the legislative will of all reafonable beings, he rnuft firft 
remove the impediments he finds in himfelf, before he can 
unfold the original predifpofitions of his moral nature. 
The impulfes of Nature are the impediments to the ful¬ 
filling of Duty. They are refilling powers, which man 
sntift judge himfelf able to combat and overcome by the 
force of Reafon alone ; that is, he mult judge himfelf able 
to perform what the lav/ unconditionally commands be 
Jh.all do. Virtue is the moral ftrength of the will of man 
in the obfervance of his duty, fo far as it conllitutes itfelf 
a power of executing the law. Only in the poffeffion of 
virtue is man free, healthy, rich, a king, &c. and can fufi- 
tain no lofs either by chance or fate, becaufe be poffeffes 
himfelf; and the virtuous cannot lofe his virtue. The 
fir ft requifite of Virtue is the dominion of Man over him¬ 
felf, which is founded in internal liberty, and compre¬ 
hends a p’ofitive commandment to Man to bring all his 
faculties and inclinations under the fubjeftion of his Rea¬ 
fon ; that is, to obtain the dominion over himfelf, which 
includes the prohibition not to buffer himfelf to be ruled 
by his feelings and inclinations ; for, unlefs Reafon af- 
fumes the reins of government, thefe feelings and incli¬ 
nations lord it over mankind. The true ftrength of Vir¬ 
tue is tranquillity of Mind to carry the moral law into ex¬ 
ecution with a deliberate and firm refolution. 
The only poffible duties that pure Practical Reafon can 
impofe upon rational beings, as members of a poftible 
Kingdom of Ends, by their own legiflative will, are the 
Duties of Man towards Man ; that is, of Man towards 
Iiimfelf, and towards other men. 
The Ends which are at the fame time Duties ; that is, thofe 
•which every rational being ought to make bis ends ; are, 
firft. His own Perfection; and, fecondly, the Happi¬ 
ness of others. It is quite impoflible to conceive that 
thefe Ends could be reverted, and itill confidered as Duties 
of man to himfelf; namely, "to make the perfcEiion of others 
and his own happinefs his ends which are at the fame time 
Ids duties. Our own happinefs is the natural end of our 
vfenfible nature ; it would therefore be abfurd to require 
an obligation to promote that to which we have a natural 
inclination. Duty is the nccejftation to ah end, adopted 
unwillingly. It would be equally abfurd to make the per¬ 
fection of other men our own end, which is at the fame 
time duty ; for how can we do that for another which 
nobody can do but himfelf? Man, as a perfen, (homo 
moumenon,) mult bring all his powers and inclinations 
under the fubjeftion of his Reafon ; exaftly in this point 
con fills his own perfection, and this mult be his own 
work. 
Man's own PerfcEiion, which is at the fame time his Duty. 
Firft, Physically confidered, it confifts in the cultiva¬ 
tion of every faculty in genera! for promoting the ends of 
realon, in order thereby to raife himfelf gradually from 
Animality to the Humanity in his own perlon, that he may 
thus become worthy of this humility. 
Secondly, Morally confidered, it confifts in advanc¬ 
ing the cultivation of his will to the pureft fentiment of 
N T. 
virtue. The greateft moral perfection of which man fa 
capable is, always, to do his Duty for the fake of Duty ; or, in 
other words, that the law (hould not only be the rule, 
but alfo the motive, for his aCtions ; and that, for all ac¬ 
tions conformable to Duty, the thought of Duty alone 
(hould be a fufficient fpring. 
The Happinefs of others, to promote which is Duty. 
Firft, The Physical welfare of others. With relpeCt to 
Benevolence, as if requires no facrifice, there is no difficulty; 
for there is nothing to be done, only to wifli well to others. 
With Beneficence it is different, particularly if it is to be 
exercifed from Duty to others, and not from Inclination, 
that is, love to others. This requires a facrifice on our 
parts, to benefit the condition of others. Whatever con- 
ftitutes the happinefs of others is left for them to deter¬ 
mine ; but it is certain they may confider many thii.-gs as 
appertaining tothatend, which I am allowed torefufethem. 
For no perihn has a right to demand of me the facrifice 
of my ends which are not immoral. But that Beneficence 
is a duty, unfolds itfelf thus: The principle of felf-love 
cannot be feparated from the neceffity of being beloved 
(allotted in cafes of need) by others; therefore I ought to 
matte a facrifice of part of my welfare to thofe who are in 
want, without the hope of remuneration ; becaufe it is com¬ 
manded by Reafon, that is, it is a Duty I owe to others. 
But, to go lb far in promoting the happinefs of others as 
to injure or deftroy my own, would ben maxim that, if it 
were ordained a univerfal law, would be difeordant with 
itfelf. 
Secondly, The Mor al well-being of others. This belongs 
alfo to their happinefs; and it is our duty to promote this 
enu, though oniya negative one. The pain which a per¬ 
lon feels from a fting of the confidence, although it is of 
a moral origin, yet the effeft is phyfical, like borrow, fear. 
See. My duty does not juft con lilt in preventing this inward 
reproach from affecting him defervedly, for that is his 
own affair. It is however my duty to avoid inducing him 
to the performance of any aft whereby his confidence may 
afterwards torture him. 
Ethics cannot give Laws for determinate aSiions, which 
mult be empirical, that is, a refult of the underftanding. 
But Ethics are the refult of pure practical reafon, which 
is formal, and which can only command the Maxim of 
actions, but not the aftions themfelves. Ail duties of 
Virtue are therefore large Duties, (i. e. have a latitude for 
the execution of them.) But by a large duty mult not 
be underftood a permillion for any exception to the maxim 
cf aSlions, but only the limiting of one maxim of Duty by 
another. Therefore the fulfilling the Duties of Virtue 
is merit — a; their tranfgreflion however is not direftly 
demerit — — a, but merely moral unworthinefs = o. The 
ftrength of thedntention in the firft pofition is properly 
denominated Virtue. The weaknefs in the fecond pofi¬ 
tion is not fo much Vice as a defeft of Virtue, a want of 
moral ftrength. Every aftion which is contrary to duty 
is named a tranfgreffort, but the defigned tranfgreflion only, 
namely, that which is become a principle of the Man, 
conllitutes what is properly denominated Vice. 
The firft principle of the duty of Man to himfelf is. 
Live conformably to nature ; that is, maintain thylelf in the 
perfection of thy nature. 
The fecond principle is. Make thyfelf more pcrfeEl than 
mere nature has made thee. This is a commandment of the 
Morally-praftical Reafon that is implanted in Man. 
From the firft principle arife. The Duties of Man 
towards himself as an Animal: a , Self-prefervation j 
b , The prefervation of the fpecies ; c , The prefervation 
of his Capacity for the agreeable, though merely animal, 
enjoyment of life. The Vices which clalh with thele du-, 
ties of Man to himfelf are, a. Suicide ; b. The unnatural ufe 
of the fexual inclination-, c, The. immoderate ufe of food, which 
enfeebles the ability to exercife his powers conformably 
to the end of nature. 
Firft; of Suicide j a. Suicide is a crime (murder), a 
direct 
