TABLE OF CONTENTS. I.—The ETHICAL STANDARD. Summary of views.. II.-PSYCHOLOGICAL questions. 1. The Moral Faculty. 2. The Freedom of the Will; the sources of Disinterested conduct..... III. The BONUM, SUMMUM BONUM, or Happiness.. VI.-Relation to Theology. PAGE ib. 1. Ethics, as a department of Practice, is defined by its End.... 2. The Ethical End is the welfare of society, realized through rules 2. The Rules of Ethics are of two kinds. The first are imposed 4. The second are supported by Rewards; constituting Optional 6. The Ethical End is limited, according to the view taken of Moral 8. Enquiry as to the kind of proof that an Ethical Standard is susceptible of. The ultimate end of action must be referred to 12. II.-The consequences of actions are beyond calculation... 13. III. The principle of Utility contains no motives to seek the 1. Question whether the Moral Faculty be simple or complex...... 34 2. Arguments in favour of its being simple and intuitive:-First, Our moral judgments are immediate and instantaneous.. ib. 4. Thirdly, It is different from any other mental phenomenon.. 5. Replies to these Arguments, and Counter-arguments:-First; Immediateness of operatinn is no proof of an innate origin.... ib. 6. Secondly, The alleged similarity of men's moral judgments holds only in a limited degree. Answers given by the advocates of an Innate sentiment, to the discrepancies.. 7. Thirdly, Moral right and wrong is not an indivisible property, but 8. Fourthly, Intuition is not sufficient to settle debated questions.. 38 9. Fifthly, It is possible to analyze the Moral Faculty :-Estimate of the operation of (1) Prudence, (2) Sympathy, and (3) the 10. The peculiar attribute of Rightness arises from the institution of 11. The speciality of Conscience, or the Moral Sentiment, is identi- fied with our education under Government, or Authority. . . . . . CONTENTS. 7 PART II. THE ETHICAL SYSTEMS. PAGE SOKRATES. His subjects were Men and Society. His Ethical Standard indistinctly expressed. Resolved Virtue into Knowledge. Ideal of pursuit-Well-doing. Inculcated self-denying Precepts. Political Theory. Connexion of Ethics with Theology slender.... 46 PLATO. Review of the Dialogues containing portions of Ethical Theory:-Alkibiades I. discusses Just and Unjust. Alkibiades II. the Knowledge of Good or Reason. Hippias Minor identifies Virtue with Knowledge. Minos (on Law) refers everything to the decision of an Ideal Wise man. Laches resolves Courage, and Charmides Temperance, into Intelligence or the supreme science of good and evil. Lysis (on Friendship) gives the Idea of the good as the supreme object of affection. Menon enquires, Is virtue teachable? and iterates the science of good and evil. Protagoras makes Pleasure the only good, and Pain the only evil, and defines the science of good and evil as the comparison of pleasures and pains. Gorgias contradicts Protagoras, and sets up Order or Discipline as a final end. Politikus (on Government) repeats the Sokratic ideal of the One Wise man. Philebus makes Good a compound of Pleasure with Intelligence, the last predominating. The Republic assimilates Society to an Individual man, and defines Justice as the balance of the constituent parts of each. Timæus repeats the doctrine that wickedness is disease, and not voluntary. The Laws place all conduct under the prescription of the civil magistrate. Summary of Plato's views ... THE CYNICS AND THE CYRENAICS. description of the tenets of both schools comes under the Summum Bonum. The Cynic Ideal was the minimum of wants, and their self-denial was compensated by exemption from fear, and by pride of superiority. The Cyrenaic ARISTIPPUS:-Was the first to maintain that the summum bonum is Pleasure and the absence of Pain. Future Pleasures and Pains taken into the account. chology of Pleasure and Pain.... Cynic succession. The proper 49 His Psy 56 63 ARISTOTLE. Abstract of the Nicomachean Ethics in-itself. Virtue referable to the special work of man; growing out of his mental capacity. External conditions necessary to virtue and happiness. The Soul subdivided into parts, each having its characteristic virtue or excellence .. Book Second. Definition and classification of the Moral virtues. Virtue the result of Habit. Doctrine of the MEAN. The test of virtue to feel no pain. Virtue defined (genus) an acquirement or a State, (differentia) a Mean between extremes. Rules for hitting the Mean. Book Third. The Voluntary and Involuntary. Deliberate Prefe- Book Fifth. Justice:-Universal Justice includes all virtue. Par- Books Eighth and Ninth. Friendship :-Grounds of Friendship. Book Tenth. Pleasure :-Theories of Pleasure-Eudoxus, Speu- PAGE 63 67 71 76 79 81 86 88 92 endurance-Apathy. Theory of Virtue :-Subordination of self EPICURUS: Life and writings. His successors. Virtue and vice PAGE 99 111 121 SCHOLASTIC ETHICS. ABAELARD :—Lays great stress on the subjective element in morality; highest human good, love to God; actions judged by intention, and intention by conscience. ST. BERNARD:Two degrees of virtue, Humanity and Love. JOHN of SALISBURY: -Combines philosophy and theology; doctrine of Happiness; the lower and higher desires. ALEXANDER OF HALES. BONAVENTURA. ALBERTUS MAGNUS. AQUINAS:-Aristotelian mode of enquiry as to the end; God the highest good; true happiness lies in the selfsufficing theoretic intelligence; virtue; division of the virtues.... 123 HOBBES. (Abstract of the Ethical part of Leviathan). Constituents of man's nature. The Good. Pleasure. The simple passions. Theory of the Will. Good and evil. Conscience. Virtue. Position of Ethics in the Sciences. Power, Worth, Dignity. Happiness a perpetual progress; consequences of the restlessness of desire. Natural state of mankind; a state of enmity and war. Necessity of articles of peace, called Laws of Nature. Law defined. Rights; Renunciation of rights; Contract; Merit. Justice. Laws of Gratitude, Complaisance, Pardon upon repentance. Laws against Cruelty, Contumely, Pride, Arrogance. Laws of Nature, how far binding. Summary.. 129 CUMBERLAND. Standard of Moral Good summed up in Benevolence. The moral faculty is the Reason, apprehending the Nature of |