The Other Virtues and Vices on Superphysics

The Origin of the Natural Virtues and Vices

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Actions Themselves Are Not The Basis Of Morality

We now examine natural virtues and vices which are independent of men’s artifice.

This examination will conclude this system of morals.

The chief actuating principle of the human mind is pleasure or pain. When these sensations are removed from our thought and feeling, we are incapable of:

Moral Sentiments

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In many instances, the same principle produces our sentiments of morals and beauty.

Justice is the most esteemed virtue.
Injustice is the most detested vice.

There are no qualities which go farther to fix the amiable or odious character.

Sympathy and Comparison

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Sympathy

I will illustrate my system of morals by:

applying it to particular instances of virtue and vice, such as pride and humility
showing how their merit or demerit arises from 4 sources.

An excessive pride is universally hated.

Heroism

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All of us have a wonderful partiality for ourselves.

We establish the rules of good-breeding:

Pride And Heroism

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All this is easily applied to the present subject.

We sink very much in our own eyes, when in the presence of:

a great man, or
one of a superior genius.

This humility makes a considerable ingredient in the respect we pay our superiors. (Book 2, Part 2, Sect. 10).

Goodness And Benevolence

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The Virtuous Motive

I have explained the origin of praise and approbation in everything we call great in human affections.

I now:

give an account of their goodness, and
where its merit comes from

After we have gained a competent knowledge of human affairs, we perceive that men’s generosity:

Natural Abilities

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Natural Abilities And Moral Virtues

The distinction between natural abilities and moral virtues is the most usual in all systems of ethics.

Natural abilities are:

placed on the same footing with bodily endowments, and
supposed to have no merit or moral worth annexed to them.

A dispute on this would be merely a dispute of words.

The Esteem For Natural Abilities

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Natural abilities are esteemed because of their tendency to be useful to the person who has them.

The goodness of our intentions alone will not give us happiness in our enterprises.

Further reflections on the natural virtues

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Bodily Pain And Pleasure

Pride & humility and love & hatred are excited by advantages or disadvantages of the mind, body, or fortune.

These advantages or disadvantages do this by producing pain or pleasure.

Conclusion Of Book 3

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

I hope that no accurate proof is lacking of this system of ethics.

Sympathy is a very powerful principle in human nature.

It has a great influence on our sense of beauty, when we: