BOOK I. § 1. every portion of it however minute, had a double aspect, subjective and objective, was at once a mode Ethic a part of of consciousness and an existing thing; but that Metaphysic. these opposite aspects of a phenomenon applied to the whole of it, and were not elements constituting it by their combination. It was farther maintained that every phenomenon had, besides this, at least two such constitutive elements, metaphysical, and logically discernible in it, but not empirically separable from each other; the inseparable union of which constituted an empirical or complete phenomenon; which phenomenon then had, as a whole, the two aspects just mentioned, so that the same two kinds of constitutive, metaphysical, elements could be discerned alike in either aspect. These elements were of two kinds, Time and Space the formal, and Feeling the material, element; time, or time and space together, entering into all phenomena whatever, along with some mode or modes of feeling; which latter were however indefinitely numerous, so that the formal element, being of two kinds only, served as the common link or bond between them all. taphysic in its strict sense, it was said, was the theory of the formal element in consciousness, of the general modes of its combination with the material element, and of its function in supporting redintegrations or series of perceptions, if spontaneously occurring, and in guiding them if voluntary or undertaken for a foreseen purpose. Accordingly the second part of "Time and Space" contained a view of Formal Logic and its laws, and of the further functions of the formal element in the processes of Reflection and the formation of Ideas. Me 2. The present work is intended to deal with the BOOK I. CH. I. § 1. Metaphysic. remaining half of the subject, namely, the material element in consciousness, the feelings; under which term, as will become evident in the sequel, actions Ethic a part of are properly included; for the proof of which inclusion I may perhaps be permitted besides to refer to "Time and Space" § 32. It will be equally impossible here as there to isolate the material element from the formal in order to its examination. Just as in "Time and Space" the formal element had to be examined in combination with its matter, the purpose of the inquiry furnishing only the direction and mode of treatment which the investigation was to assume, so in the present work the combination of the formal element with feelings can never be left out of view; indeed the degree and mode of complexity with which different feelings involve this element will be found the chief index to their appropriate analysis and classification. The form is the logic of the feelings; to arrange them logically is therefore to examine their relations to their formal element. In this In this way it is that the work already done. in "Time and Space" furnishes us with a method and a key to the work remaining to be done here. There we had the establishment of the Logic, here we have its application. In the first Book of the present work accordingly I shall endeavour to apply this logic of the formal element to the analysis and classification of the different modes of feeling, whether sensations, emotions, passions, desires, pleasures, pains, efforts, volitions, or actions; to the modes of movement or working which pervade them and connect them into a life; and to their combination, in consequence of such working, into types of character, so far as these can be dealt with without taking into BOOK I. § 1. Metaphysic. consideration the effects of different external circumstances, which in all cases so largely contribute to Ethic a part of mould them. I hope that this analysis will put me in a position to sketch out, in the second Book, a system of principles of judgment, applicable to feeling and action, a system to guide judgment in all cases that may arise, in short what I may perhaps call a Logic of Practice; a logic in the same sense as the formal element is a logic in application to the material, that is, a fixed method, by applying which to actions and systems of actions, to history and to life, we may ascertain whether or not we have the object-matter before us in its natural and real shape, with all its essential aspects brought out in their true relative importance, without omission and without addition. It will be reserved for such a logic of practice to examine and if possible to determine the various questions which are still agitated respecting moral obligation, such as, for instance, whether happiness is its only source, or a sufficient account of its origin; whether it is the true happiness of the individual, or that of the race, or that of sentient beings generally, which must be held to have this character; where the ultimate criterion is found for judging doubtful questions of morals when they arise; whether and on what grounds it is possible to condemn an action while acquitting or even honouring the agent, or to condemn the agent while honouring the act. Such questions as these would fall properly within the scope of the system of principles I have endeavoured to picture, while they would be almost hopeless of solution without a previous analysis of the phenomena, such as the first Book will contain ; since, although a solution might be made to appear Book I. CH. I. § 1. Metaphysic. highly probable a priori, it would lack the justification attainable by its evident applicability to the phenomena, prepared by the analysis. On the other Ethic a part of hand, the second examination of the phenomena by the systematisation of a logic of practice is plainly requisite to complete the subject as a whole; and it is this part of the work which justifies its claim to be an enquiry into the Theory of Practice in general. § 2. The special § 2. 1. The necessity for entering in the first Book upon an analysis of the whole of the material scope of Ethic. furniture of consciousness will be more apparent if we consider the different views which are entertained of the nature and scope of Ethic, and the different ways in which its study may be approached. Ethic seems in the first place to be conversant with actions and habits; and farther, since the motive in all action is to obtain or increase some pleasure, or else to avoid or diminish some pain, pleasure and pain being well called by Bentham the springs of action, Ethic seems to be conversant also with pleasures and pains. These two views are easily united, for pleasures and pains stand to actions and consequent habits in the relation of cause to effect, so that in studying pleasures and pains we are studying actions and habits at their source, and in studying actions and habits we are studying pleasures and pains in their stream; and by combining both views, and studying the reactions between stream and source, it seems as if the whole subject would be sufficiently exhausted. 2. But this is only one side or aspect of the subject, for so far as it has now been stated it aims only at discovering what actions or habits are or will be done or exist, not what ought to be done or exist. From another side Ethic seems to be conversant BOOK I. § 2. The special scope of Ethic. with judgments about actions and habits, pleasures 3. There is then a sort of reduplication, zavadíTwos, in Ethic, a returning back on its own observations and a fresh traversing of them, arranging them under new categories expressive of praise or blame. In the first limb of its course it is a science of speculation, in its second one of practice; and it makes no difference that practice, consisting of actions and habits, is the object-matter of its investigations, unless it treats them in a way to influence future practice. Now it is in determining the relation, and the relative rank or primacy, between these two branches of Ethic that disputes arise which necessitate the careful metaphysical analysis of the phenomena, previous to the establishment of any ethical theory whatever. The speculative branch of Ethic deals with what is, has been, will be, or will not be; the second with what ought to be, or is better or worse than something else. Now every judgment |