Essays On The Principles Of Morality

Author : Jonathan Dymond
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781330783375
Total Pages : 588 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (833 download)

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Download or read book Essays on the Principles of Morality written by Jonathan Dymond and published by . This book was released on 2015-07-23 with total page 588 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Essays on the Principles of Morality: And on the Private and Political Rights and Obligations of Mankind The Author of this Work died in the spring of 1828, leaving in manuscript the three Essays of which it consists. We learn from himself that the undertaking originated in a belief (in which he probably is far from being alone) that the existing treatises on Moral Philosophy did not exhibit the principles nor enforce the obligations of morality in all their perfection and purity; that a work was yet wanted which should present a true and authoritative standard of rectitude - one by an appeal to which the moral character of human actions might be rightly estimated. This he here endeavours to supply. Rejecting what he considered the false grounds of duty, and erroneous principles of action which are proposed in the most prominent and most generally received of our extant theories of moral obligation, he proceeds to erect a system of morality upon what he regards as the only true and legitimate basis - the Will of God. He makes, therefore, the authority of the Deity the sole ground of duty, and His communicated Will the only ultimate standard of right and wrong; and assumes, "that wheresoever this Will is made known, human duty is determined; - and that neither the conclusions of philosophers, nor advantages, nor dangers, nor pleasures, nor sufferings, ought to have any opposing influence in regulating our conduct." The attempt to establish a system of such uncompromising morality, must necessarily bring the writer into direct collision with the advocates of the utilitarian scheme, particularly with Dr. Paley; and accordingly it will be found that he frequently enters the lists with this great champion of Expediency. With what success - how well he exposes the fallacies of that specious but dangerous doctrine - how far he succeeds in refuting the arguments by which it is sought to be maintained, and in establishing another system of obligations and duties and rights upon a more stable foundation, must be left to the reader to determine. 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.