part17-第4章

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their　courts。　　Under　them　you　are　surely　safe。




　　　　　　　　At　the　date　of　yours　of　the　6th；　you　had　not　received　mine　of

the　3d　inst。；　asking　a　copy　of　an　edition　of　Newton's　Principia；

which　I　had　seen　advertised。　　When　the　cost　of　that　shall　be　known；

it　shall　be　added　to　the　balance　of　4。93；　and　incorporated　with　a

larger　remittance　I　have　to　make　to　Philadelphia。　　Accept　the

assurance　of　my　great　esteem　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　THE　MORAL　SENSE




　　　　　　　　_To　Thomas　Law_

　　　　　　　　_Poplar　Forest；　June　13；　1814_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　The　copy　of　your　Second　Thoughts　on　Instinctive

Impulses；　with　the　letter　accompanying　it；　was　received　just　as　I　was

setting　out　on　a　journey　to　this　place；　two　or　three　days'　distant

from　Monticello。　　I　brought　it　with　me　and　read　it　with　great

satisfaction；　and　with　the　more　as　it　contained　exactly　my　own　creed

on　the　foundation　of　morality　in　man。　　It　is　really　curious　that　on　a

quesion　so　fundamental；　such　a　variety　of　opinions　should　have

prevailed　among　men；　and　those；　too；　of　the　most　exemplary　virtue　and

first　order　of　understanding。　　It　shows　how　necessary　was　the　care　of

the　Creator　in　making　the　moral　principle　so　much　a　part　of　our

constitution　as　that　no　errors　of　reasoning　or　of　speculation　might

lead　us　astray　from　its　observance　in　practice。　　Of　all　the　theories

on　this　question；　the　most　whimsical　seems　to　have　been　that　of

Wollaston；　who　considers　_truth_　as　the　foundation　of　morality。　　The

thief　who　steals　your　guinea　does　wrong　only　inasmuch　as　he　acts　a

lie　in　using　your　guinea　as　if　it　were　his　own。　　Truth　is　certainly　a

branch　of　morality；　and　a　very　important　one　to　society。　　But

presented　as　its　foundation；　it　is　as　if　a　tree　taken　up　by　the

roots；　had　its　stem　reversed　in　the　air；　and　one　of　its　branches

planted　in　the　ground。　　Some　have　made　the　_love　of　God_　the

foundation　of　morality。　　This；　too；　is　but　a　branch　of　our　moral

duties；　which　are　generally　divided　into　duties　to　God　and　duties　to

man。　　If　we　did　a　good　act　merely　from　the　love　of　God　and　a　belief

that　it　is　pleasing　to　Him；　whence　arises　the　morality　of　the

Atheist？　　It　is　idle　to　say；　as　some　do；　that　no　such　being　exists。

We　have　the　same　evidence　of　the　fact　as　of　most　of　those　we　act　on；

to…wit：　their　own　affirmations；　and　their　reasonings　in　support　of

them。　　I　have　observed；　indeed；　generally；　that　while　in　protestant

countries　the　defections　from　the　Platonic　Christianity　of　the

priests　is　to　Deism；　in　catholic　countries　they　are　to　Atheism。

Diderot；　D'Alembert；　D'Holbach；　Condorcet；　are　known　to　have　been

among　the　most　virtuous　of　men。　　Their　virtue；　then；　must　have　had

some　other　foundation　than　the　love　of　God。




　　　　　　　　The　｛To　chylon｝　of　others　is　founded　in　a　different　faculty；

that　of　taste；　which　is　not　even　a　branch　of　morality。　　We　have

indeed　an　innate　sense　of　what　we　call　beautiful；　but　that　is

exercised　chiefly　on　subjects　addressed　to　the　fancy；　whether　through

the　eye　in　visible　forms；　as　landscape；　animal　figure；　dress；

drapery；　architecture；　the　composition　of　colors；　&c。；　or　to　the

imagination　directly；　as　imagery；　style；　or　measure　in　prose　or

poetry；　or　whatever　else　constitutes　the　domain　of　criticism　or

taste；　a　faculty　entirely　distinct　from　the　moral　one。

Self…interest；　or　rather　self…love；　or　_egoism_；　has　been　more

plausibly　substituted　as　the　basis　of　morality。　　But　I　consider　our

relations　with　others　as　constituting　the　boundaries　of　morality。

With　ourselves　we　stand　on　the　ground　of　identity；　not　of　relation；

which　last；　requiring　two　subjects；　excludes　self…love　confined　to　a

single　one。　　To　ourselves；　in　strict　language；　we　can　owe　no　duties；

obligation　requiring　also　two　parties。　　Self…love；　therefore；　is　no

part　of　morality。　　Indeed　it　is　exactly　its　counterpart。　　It　is　the

sole　antagonist　of　virtue；　leading　us　constantly　by　our　propensities

to　self…gratification　in　violation　of　our　moral　duties　to　others。

Accordingly；　it　is　against　this　enemy　that　are　erected　the　batteries

of　moralists　and　religionists；　as　the　only　obstacle　to　the　practice

of　morality。　　Take　from　man　his　selfish　propensities；　and　he　can　have

nothing　to　seduce　him　from　the　practice　of　virtue。　　Or　subdue　those

propensities　by　education；　instruction　or　restraint；　and　virtue

remains　without　a　competitor。　　Egoism；　in　a　broader　sense；　has　been

thus　presented　as　the　source　of　moral　action。　　It　has　been　said　that

we　feed　the　hungry；　clothe　the　naked；　bind　up　the　wounds　of　the　man

beaten　by　thieves；　pour　oil　and　wine　into　them；　set　him　on　our　own

beast　and　bring　him　to　the　inn；　because　we　receive　ourselves　pleasure

from　these　acts。　　So　Helvetius；　one　of　the　best　men　on　earth；　and　the

most　ingenious　advocate　of　this　principle；　after　defining　〃interest〃

to　mean　not　merely　that　which　is　pecuniary；　but　whatever　may　procure

us　pleasure　or　withdraw　us　from　pain；　＇_de　l'esprit_　2；　1；＇　says；

＇ib。　2；　2；＇　〃the　humane　man　is　he　to　whom　the　sight　of　misfortune　is

insupportable；　and　who　to　rescue　himself　from　this　spectacle；　is

forced　to　succor　the　unfortunate　object。〃　This　indeed　is　true。　　But

it　is　one　step　short　of　the　ultimate　question。　　These　good　acts　give

us　pleasure；　but　how　happens　it　that　they　give　us　pleasure？　　Because

nature　hath　implanted　in　our　breasts　a　love　of　others；　a　sense　of

duty　to　them；　a　moral　instinct；　in　short；　which　prompts　us

irresistibly　to　feel　and　to　succor　their　distresses；　and　protests

against　the　language　of　Helvetius；　＇ib。　2；　5；＇　〃what　other　motive

than　self…interest　could　determine　a　man　to　generous　actions？　　It　is

as　impossible　for　him　to　love　what　is　good　for　the　sake　of　good；　as

to　love　evil　for　the　sake　of　evil。〃　The　Creator　would　indeed　have

been　a　bungling　artist；　had　he　intended　man　for　a　social　animal；

without　planting　in　him　social　dispositions。　　It　is　true　they　are　not

planted　in　every　man；　because　there　is　no　rule　without　exceptions；

but　it　is　false　reasoning　which　converts　exceptions　into　the　general

rule。　　Some　men　are　born　without　the　organs　of　sight；　or　of　hearing；

or　without　hands。　　Yet　it　would　be　wrong　to　say　that　man　is　born

without　these　faculties；　and　sight；　hearing；　and　hands　may　with　truth

enter　into　the　general　definition　of　man。　　The　want　or　imperfection

of　the　moral　sense　in　some　men；　like　the　want　or　imperfection　of　the

senses　of　sight　and　hearing　in　others；　is　no　proof　that　it　is　a

general　characteristic　of　the　species。　　When　it　is　wanting；　we

endeavor　to　supply　the　defect　by　education；　by　appeals　to　reason　and

calculation；　by　presenting　to　the　being　so　unhappily　conformed；　other

motives　to　do　good　and　to　eschew　evil；　such　as　the　love；　or　the

hatred；　or　rejection　of　those　among　whom　he　lives；　and　whose　society

is　necessary　to　his　happiness　and　even　existence；　demonstrations　by

sound　calculation　that　honesty　promotes　interest　in　the　long　run；　the

rewards　and　penalties　established　by　the　laws；　and　ultimately　the

prospects　of　a　future　state　of　retribution　for　the　evil　as　well　as

the　good　done　while　here。　　These　are　the　correctives　which　are

supplied　by　education；　and　which　exercise　the　functions　of　the

moralist；　the　preacher；　and　legislator；　and　they　lead　into　a　course

of　correct　action　all　those　whose　disparity　is　not　too　profound　to　be

eradicated。　　Some　have　argued　against　the　existence　of　a　moral　sense；

by　saying　that　if　nature　had　given　us　such　a　sense；　impelling　us　to

virtuous　actions；　and　warning　us　against　those　which　are　vicious；

then　nature　would　also　have　designated；　by　some　particular　ear…marks；

the　two　sets　of　actions　which　are；　in　themselves；　the　one　virtuous

and　the　other　vicious。　　Whereas；　we　find；　in　fact；　that　the　same

actions　are　deemed　virtuous　in　one　country　and　vicious　in　another。

The　answer　is　that　nature　has　constituted　_utility_　to　man　the

standard　and　best　of　virtue。　　Men　living　in　different　countries；

under　different　circumstances；　different　habits　and　regimens；　may

have　different　utilities；　the　same　act；　therefore；　may　be　useful；　and

consequently　virtuous　in　one　country　which　is　injurious　and　vicious

in　another　differently　circumstanced。　　I　sincerely；　then；　believe

with　you　in　the　general　existence　of　a　moral　instinct。　　I　think　it

the　brightest　gem　with　which　the　human　character　is　studded；　and　the

want　of　it　as　more　degrading　than　the　most　hideous　of　the　bodily

deformities。　　I　am　happy　in　reviewing　the　roll　of　associates　in　this

principle　which　you　present　in　your　second　letter；　some　of　which　I

had　not　before　met　with。　　To　these　might　be　added　Lord　Kaims；　one　of

the　ablest　of　our　advocates；　who　goes　so　far　as　to　say；　in　his

Principles　of　Natural　Religion；　that　a　man　owes　no　duty　to　which　he

is　not　urged　by　some　impulsive　feeling。　　This　is　correct；　if　referred

to　the　standard　of　general　feeling　in　the　given　case；　and　not　to　the

feeling　of　a　single　individual。　　Perhaps　I　may　misquote　him；　it　being

fifty　years　since　I　read　his　book。




　　　　　　　　The　leisure　and　solitude　of　my　situation　here　has　led　me　to　the

indiscretion　of　taxing　you　with　a　long　letter　on　a　subject　whereon

nothing　new　can　be　offered　you。　　I　will　indulge　myself　no　farther

than　to　repeat　the　assurances　of　my　continued　esteem　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　BONAPARTE　AND　PLATO




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Adams_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　July　5；　1814_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR　　Since　mine　of　Jan。　24。　yours　of　Mar。　14。　was

recieved。　　It　was　not　acknoleged　in　the　short　one　of　May　18。　by　Mr。

Rives；　the　only　object　of　that　having　been　to　enable　one　of　our　most

promising　young　men　to　have　the　advantage　of　making　his　bow　to　you。

I　learned　with　great　regret　the　serious　illness　mentioned　in　your

letter：　and　I　hope　Mr。　Rives　will　be　able　to　tell　me　you　are　entirely

restored。　　But　our　machines　have　now　been　running　for　70。　or　80。

years；　and　we　must　expect　that；　worn　as　they　are；　here　a　pivot；　there

a　wheel；　now　a　pinion；　next　a　spring；　will　be　giving　way：　and　however

we　may　tinker　them　up　for　awhile；　all　will　at　length　surcease　motion。

Our　watches；　with　works　of　brass　and　steel；　wear　out　within　that

period。　　Shall　you　and　I　last　to　see　the　course　the　seven…fold

wonders　of　the　times　will　take？　　The　Attila　of　the　age　dethroned；　the

ruthless　destroyer　of　10。　millions　of　the　human　race；　whose　thirst

for　blood　appeared　unquenchable；　the　great　oppressor　of　the　rights

and　liberties　of　the　world；　shut　up　within　the　circuit　of　a　little

island　of　the　Mediterranean；　and　dwindled　to　the　condition　of　an

humble　and　degraded　pensioner　on　the　bounty　of　those　he　had　most

injured。　　How　miserably；　how　meanly；　has　he　closed　his　inflated

career！　　What　a　sample　of　the　Bathos　will　his　history　present！　　He

should　have　perished　on　the　swords　of　his　enemies；　under　the　walls　of

Paris。




　

　　　　　　　　‘Leon　piagato　a　morte　Cosi　fra　l'ire　estrema

　　　　　　　　　　　　Sente　mancar　la　vita；　　　　　　　　　　　rugge；　minaccia；　e　freme；