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1\1 o R A L P n 1 L O S O P H Y.
or atling fuitabl)' to ,he juí\ proportion and harmony of
i:s. (c'{'eral powas; thclefore, le (he virtue or:ll cre;.a(ure
cndo\Vcd with (uch afft;~lOns as man, mun cunfin in
obfcrving or aébng a2reeably tO tht:ir nalUf ..1 pitch ao..!
tcnor."
But, as there are no ind.:pendent atrc€tions in the fa–
brick of ,he mind, no pallion tha< í\.nd. by itfelf IVithout
fome Telalian to the Tell, \Ve cannOl pronouoceof any anc.
con~Jered apart, thal it is either toO lIrong or too weak.
Its Ilrength and juí\ proportion mun be l1leafured, not
ooly by its fubferviency la its Qwn immediatcend, 1mt by
, he re:p<tI it tO th. whole (ynem of aíFe8ion.
There(ore, we (ay a paffion is too (!rong. nOI ooly when
it ddeats iu own end, bUl wheo it impairs the force of
other p..ffions, which are equally nccelrary [O form a tcm·
per of mind fuitcd to ~ cenaio ~~onomy or llate i and
t OO wcak, nOI merely on accounI of ies infufficiency to
anfwer its end, bUI becaufe it cannOI its part cr
office in the bal.nee of the whole {yllcm. Thus the
Jove of life may be toO í\rong. when it tak", from the
~rd due to one's country. and will not allow one brave·
J'Y"'fo encounler dangers, or even de;u h. on its aCCOUDt .
Again, rhe love of fAOle may be tOO weak , when ir throws
down lhe fence, wbich render vinuc: more (ecure, or
weakcns rhe incentives: which make it more atlive 2nd pu–
blie~·(pirited.
If it be an"d. " H olV far may the .íF.8ioDS towa rd',
private gooJ or happinefs be iodulged ?H ona limit \Vas
before 6xed for the particular indulceneies or each, viz.
t heir fllbordination to the eommon aggregate of gooJ to
Ihe private fyHcm. In {heCe thercfore, a due rcg1fd
is (uppo(ed to be had tO heahh, reputation. (or·
tune, the (retdom of -a{bon, the unimpaired exercife of
teafon, the ,,1m enjoyment of onc's relf: which are all
private goods. Anothtr limit no\v re(u!ls (rom the balance
uf afrcdlOn jun n. med, ,lÍz. .. The fecuri,y and happi.
oefs of olhers j" or, tO exprefs: it more gc:nerally, " a
private aíF:tI;on may be f.fely indu:ged, when, by ,hat
indulgcnc~, ,I,.e do nor viulale lhe obligltions which re–
fult from our higher rcltttlons, or pubhe conne\.'lions."
A jun refpetl th,refore being h. d lO the(e bOllndaries,
'-A'l.ich nature has fixed che breal1 of evC'ry man, \Vhac
{I¡ould limit our purfui u oC priv:ue happinefs? Is nature
Jullc:n d:ld penun ons? Or does lhe God o( nature: eovy
che hapPIOcfs of his offspring ?
\ Vlluher there: is e:va a real coJJi(ion or inrerefis be.
, \Vecn the pubEe and private fylbn of affcélton" or the
ends whid l C<lch c1a(s has in view, will be a(terwards e<.lo.
liJered; bUI where there io¡ no coJlifion, ¡here: is lude or
no d anger of 'ing ci.her. but dreeially che publie .f–
f,{hon. to ~).ccfs, provh~cd bOlh klnds are kcpt fubordi.
n .He 10 a dl(crttl é!nd c,)ol (...fr love', and 10 a calm and
unlvaf,,1 b:;:n~\l<.llencc ; which priDcipks lIand as guards
, t che h..d of fy(lcm.
T his thlO 15 che conJu(t of the pallions, confidered as
p;¡rllcuJ3.T "od repau te forces, carryrng us OUt 10 thc:ir re.
fpdlive cnds ; ~nJ lhis is Iheir balolnce orreconomy, Con.
f. d"red 3S compouncl j,owcrs, or r owers murualIy reJated,
~Cl lO~ io COf.jur.\,.'llcn IO\'J~rds a commoo end, and CODre.
(jucndy ¡¡S forOli!!!: a f),(lC. 01 01' \IIhole.
NO\VJ wllalt:\'er ¡ djufis Or maiutains this balance,
whatevcr in the humaD conHíllnion is formcd for dir!é1ing
lhe p<tfliuos, ro as tO keep them from,defe.1.ting thcir oUln
end or intcrfering wlth eaeh other, mull be a principie
of a fupenor na\ur~ tO them , and ough t tO diretl their
meafurcs, aod go,ern lhei r proponions. But ir \Vas
found, th;u re",fon or refleétlon IS fu ch a priDciple, which
pOint5 out the tcndency of our pedJions, weighs their in.
BueDce "pon prívate and public happine(" and fhews the
be{l means of auainlng either. lt havj Dg been likewi(e
found, that there ls anocherdirelling or controuling prín·
ciple, which We c:tl! eoofcic nce, or the mordl fcofe, which ,
bya native kind of autllority. judges of affetlions and ae–
tion. , pronouneing (ome jull anJ ¡¡ooJ, and others unjull
and ¡JI j it (ollows, thu lhe pi!lffions, which art! mrre 1m·
pul(es, or bJind rorees, are pnnciples inferior and robar·
dinate to th:s judging f.eulty. Therefore, if we IVould
oblerve the mutu.1 re{petls and the fubordination which
lhe differeol pans of lhe human conClitution b:a r one to
.nother, the p.aions ought co be lubjetled to the direc–
Uon and authority of lhe Jc:ading Or cootrouling prio.
ciples.
We conclude thereforc from this induétion, thar u the
conllilUtrOn or juH ceconomy uf humd.n nature cooGtts iD
a regular {ubordcnation of the pallions and ./Fetlions to the
authority of con(cience, and the dircétion o(rea(on."
'fhat rubordination is regular, when lhe propoltÍOD
formedy rncntioned is matntained; thar is te [.. y.
" When the pallion. are kept proporlioned ro
our dangcrs; when the-pi ivate paffions are propor[ionect
10 uur war,ts j and when lhe pubhc affeétlons are adapt.
ed to our pubJie connt'tliolls, and proportiont:d to tbe
wants and dangers of others."
But lhe natural (late, or the found and vigorous con–
nitutioo, of any ereJture, or Ihe jufl recooomy of ir,
powers, we call irs he."h flnd pcrfeélion j aod the aéling
agn:eably 10 thde, ilS virtue or goodners. T Jlercfote,
•. the he~lth aod perfetleoDof man muí\ lie in the afore–
{.id fupremacy of eonlceenee and reafon, and in che (ub–
ordination of the pallions ro their authoritv and dlrec·
tion j his vinue or goodnefs mull confin in aéttng
agreeably tO thar urder or <I!conomy .')
Thlt fueh an ",eoocmy oi the mind, and (ueh a con–
du8 of i,s pOlrer and p.flions, IVill I!and the rdl of r..foo,
cannor admlt of any di tpute. For, upon a fai r examina·
tion inlo the confequc:nces of th inf.~) or lhe rdallons and
aptitudes of means te ends, reafon e\'lcjently demonHratc:s,
and 'experience conlirms it, that "te have our drienfi"e
p.dTioos duJy proponiooed tO oor d<tngers, is (he (uren
way lO avoid or get c1Ci\T of thcm. and ObtollO the fecu·
rity \Ve flek af,er."-" To proportton our pnl'ate padi.,ns
to Our \Vants l is the bell means tu fnpply Ihem ;-and,
tO ad~p[ our pubhc affl.l.'lions tO our ton:.1 rdatioos lind
the good 01' others. is the mon <1I<,9ual :n,thud of f~l­
filJing one, and procunr~ the olher.u In chis '.cnl!!.
there(ore, vinue may be (did ro be a 11 condl1~ (.'Ctorm·
ahlc: to reol(on, as rc:\(on dlfcovers an app..ren r apllI.u úe
in fuch an order and O!('onomy uf P¡J\\tTS and r a1h\Jns
tO an(wer'the end for which th ey .. re nJlulóllly forlllcd.
]f the ide.1of mor,¡J obllgatlOn 15 tO be dt.Jucc.d mt'rdy
from (hi~ apl itude or connc8ion bet wcen p~ lftons,
or a c~'\lJin olJer... anJ bld.lDee of p.. ffi oD5, aud u 'na.n
enJs