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'Book 2
- Liberty Fund
- Chapter
- Additional Information
'Book 2 PART I SECTION I W E have consider'd whatVIRTUE is, and to whom the Character belongs. It remains to inquire, What Obligation there is to VIRTUE; or what Reason to embrace it. We have found, that to deserve the name ofgood or virtuous, a Creature must have all his Inclinations and Affections, his Dispositions of Mind and Temper, sutable, and agreeing with the Good of his Kind, or ofthat System in which he is included, and ofwhich he constitutes a PART. To stand thus well affected, and to have one's Affections right and intire, not only in respect of one's self, but of Society and the Publick: This is Rectitude, Integrity, or VIRTUE. And to be wanting in any of these, or to have their Contrarys, is Depravity, Corruption, and VIcE. It has been already shewn, that in the Passions and Affections of particular Creatures, there is a constant relation to the Interest of a Species, or common Nature. This has been demonstrated in the case of naturalAffection, parental Kindness, Zeal for Posterity, Concern for the Propagation and Nurture of the Young, Love of Fellowship and Company, Compassion, mutual Succour, and the rest of this kind. Nor will any-one deny that this Affection of a Creature towards the Good of the Species or common Nature, is as proper and natural to him, as it is to any Organ, Part or Member of an Animal-Body, or mere Vegetable, to work in its known Course, and regular way of Growth. 'Tis not more natural for the Stomach to digest, the Lungs to breathe, the Glands to separate Juices, or other lntrails to perform their several Offices; however they may by particular Impediments be sometimes disorder'd, or obstructed in their Operations. 45 Sect. I. Obligation to VIRTUE. Difficulty stated. Sect. I. Union with a Kind or Species. [791 Opposition from Selfinterest. [So] Opposition from Selfinterest. AN INQUIRY There being allow'd therefore in a Creature such Affections as these towards the common Nature, or System ofthe Kind, together with those other which regard the private Nature, o~ Self-system; it will appear that in following the first of these Affections, the Creature must on many Occasions contradict and go against the latter. How else shou'd the Species be preserv'd? Or what wou'd signify that implanted naturalAffection, by which a Creature thro' so many Difficultys and Hazards preserves its Offspring, and supports its Kind? It may therefore be imagin'd, perhaps, that there is a plain and absolute Opposition between these two Habits or Affections. It may be presum'd, that the pursuing the common Interest or publick Good thro' the Affections of one kind, must be a hindrance to the Attainment ofprivate Good thro' the Affections ofanother. For it being taken for granted, that Hazards and Hardships, of whatever sort, are naturally the Ill ofthe private State; and it being certainly the Nature of those publick Affections to lead often to the greatest Hardships and Hazards ofevery kind; 'tis presently infer 'd, "That 'tis the Creature's Interest to be without any publick Affection whatsoever." This we know for certain; That all social Love, Friendship, Gratitude, or whatever else is of this generous kind, does by its nature take place of the self-interesting Passions, draws us out of our-selves, and makes us disregardful ofour own Convenience and Safety. So that according to a known *way of reasoning on Self interest, that which is of a social kind in us, shou'd of right be abolish'd. Thus Kindness of every sort, Indulgence, Tenderness, Compassion, and in short, all natural Affection shou'd be industriously suppress'd, and, as mere Folly, and Weakness of Nature, be resisted and overcome; that, by this means, there might be nothing remaining in us, which was contrary to a direct Self-end; nothing which might stand in opposition to a steddy and deliberate Pursuit of the most narrowly confin'd Self-interest. * VOL. I. p. 90, &c. u6, II7, u8, II9, no. [3.236.139.73] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 18:20 GMT) CONCERNING VIRTUE OR MERIT 47 According to this extraordinary Hypothesis, it must be taken for granted, "That in the System ofa Kind or Species, the Interest of theprivate Nature is directly opposite to that of the common one; the Interest ofParticulars directly opposite to that of the Publick in general." -A strange Constitution! in which it must be confess'd there is much...