The Utilitarian Theory of Morals (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

Excerpt from The Utilitarian Theory of Morals

See Mr. Whewell's Preface to Sir James Mackintosh's Dissertation, pp. 19, 20.

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Excerpt from The Utilitarian Theory of Morals

The easiest way by which to arrive at the true theory of morals is to begin, as in all other things, at the beginning; to take up, in the first instance, a very simple case, and thence to proceed to more complicated cases, and to trace out the common and essential quality which runs through them all.

The earliest and simplest germination of moral feeling which we observe to subsist in the human race, is to be found in the obedience paid by the infant to the mother and nurse ; not, indeed, in the child's persuasion that he must, (for in mere compulsion there can be no morality at all,) but that he ought to obey them. What process in the infant's mind may give birth to this persuasion; by what association with his pains or his pleasures it may become a motive power of his conduct; is a question of no direct importance in any moral inquiry.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.