An essay on the history of civil society / [Adam Ferguson].

  • Adam Ferguson
Date:
1789
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the history of civil society / [Adam Ferguson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    31/438 page 21
    means, we would have it underftood as the only reafonabk motive of aCtion with mankind. There is even a fyftem of philofophy founded upon tenets of this fort, and fuch is our opinion of what men are likely to do upon felfifh principles, that we think it muff have a tendency very dangerous to virtue. But the errors of this fyftem do not confift fo much in general principles, as in their particular applications ; not fo much in teaching men to regard themfelves, as in leading them to forget , that their happieft affections, their candour, and their independence Of mind, are in reality parts of themfelves. And the ad- verfaries of this fuppofed felfifh philofophy, where it makes felf-love the ruling paffion with mankind, have had reafon to find fault, not fo much with its general reprefentations of human nature, as with the obtrufiou of a mere innovation in lan- guage for a difcovery in fcience. When the vulgar fpeak of their different mo- tives, they are fatisfted with ordinary names , which refer to known and obvious diftinctions. Of this kind are the terms benevolence' and fclfish- rcfs > by the firft of which they exprefs their friendly affections, and by the fecond their in* tereft. The fpeculative are not always fatisfied with this proceeding; they would analyze, as well as enumerate the principles of nature; and the chance is, that, merely to gain the ap- pearance of fomething new, without any profped of real advantage, they will attempt to change the application of words. In the cafe before us, C 3
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