Moral Science | Page 3

enlightened self-interest.
THE NEO-PLATONISTS. The Moral End to be attained through an

intellectual regimen. The soul being debased by its connection with
matter, the aim of human action is to regain the spiritual life. The first
step is the practice of the cardinal virtues: the next the purifying virtues.
Happiness is the undisturbed life of contemplation. Correspondence of
the Ethical, with the Metaphysical scheme.
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, Humility 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 self-sufficing theoretic
intelligence; virtue; division of the virtues.
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.
CUMBERLAND. Standard of Moral Good summed up in Benevolence.
The moral faculty is the Reason, apprehending the Nature of Things.
Innate Ideas an insufficient foundation. Will. Disinterested action.
Happiness. Moral Code, the common good of all rational beings.
Obligations in respect of giving and of receiving. Politics. Religion.
CUDWORTH. Moral Good and Evil cannot be arbitrary. The mind has

a power of Intellection, above Sense, for aiming at the eternal and
immutable verities.
CLARKE. The eternal Fitness and Unfitness of Things determine
Justice, Equity, Goodness and Truth, and lay corresponding obligations
upon reasonable creatures. The sanction of Rewards and Punishments
secondary and additional. Our Duties.
WOLLASTON. Resolves good and evil into Truth and Falsehood.
LOCKE. Arguments against Innate Practical Principles. Freedom of the
Will. Moral Rules grounded in law.
BUTLER. Characteristics of our Moral Perceptions. Disinterested
Benevolence a fact of our constitutions. Our passions and affections do
not aim at self as their immediate end. The Supremacy of Conscience
established from our moral nature. Meanings of Nature. Benevolence
not ultimately at variance with Self-Love.
HUTCHESON.--Primary feelings of the mind. Finer
perceptions--Beauty, Sympathy, the Moral Sense, Social feelings; the
benevolent order of the world suggesting Natural Religion. Order or
subordination of the feelings as Motives; position of Benevolence. The
Moral Faculty distinct and independent. Confirmation of the doctrine
from the Sense of Honour. Happiness. The tempers and characters
bearing on happiness. Duties to God. Circumstances affecting the
moral good or evil of actions. Rights and Laws.
MANDEVILLE. Virtue supported solely by self-interest. Compassion
resolvable into self. Pride an important source of moral virtue. Private
vices, public benefits. Origin of Society.
HUME. Question whether Reason or Sentiment be the foundation of
morals. The esteem for Benevolence shows that Utility enters into
virtue. Proofs that Justice is founded solely on Utility. Political Society
has utility for its end. The Laws. Why Utility pleases. Qualities useful
to ourselves. Qualities agreeable (1) to ourselves, and (2) to others.
Obligation. The respective share of Reason and of Sentiment in moral

approbation. Benevolence not resolvable into Self-Love.
PRICE. The distinctions of Right and Wrong are perceived by the
Understanding. The Beauty and Deformity of Actions. The feelings
have some part in our moral discrimination. Self-Love and
Benevolence. Good and ill Desert. Obligation. Divisions of Virtue.
Intention as an element in virtuous action. Estimate of degrees of
Virtue and Vice.
ADAM SMITH. Illustration of the workings of Sympathy. Mutual
sympathy. The Amiable and the Respectable Virtues. How far the
several passions are consistent with Propriety. Influences of prosperity
and adversity on moral judgments. The Sense of Merit and Demerit.
Self-approbation. Love of Praise and of Praiseworthiness. Influence
and authority of Conscience. Self-partiality; corrected by the use of
General Rules. Connexion of Utility with Moral Approbation.
Influence of Custom on the Moral Sentiments. Character of Virtue.
Self-command. Opinion regarding the theory of the Moral Sense.
HARTLEY. Account of Disinterestedness. The Moral Sense a product
of Association.
FERGUSON. (Note)
REID. Duty not to be resolved into Interest. Conscience an original
power of the mind. Axiomatic first principles of Morals. Objections to
the theory of Utility.
STEWART. The Moral Faculty an original power. Criticism of
opposing views. Moral Obligation: connexion with Religion. Duties.
Happiness: classification of pleasures.
BROWN. Moral approbation a simple emotion of the mind.
Universality of moral distinctions. Objections to the theory of Utility.
Disinterested sentiment.
PALEY. The Moral Sense not intuitive. Happiness. Virtue: its
definition.