An essay in morality written by G.B. to his friend H.P., Esquire ; in which the nature of virtue and vice is distinctly stated, their respective reasonableness and unreasonableness demonstrated, and several useful conclusions inferred.
About this Item
- Title
- An essay in morality written by G.B. to his friend H.P., Esquire ; in which the nature of virtue and vice is distinctly stated, their respective reasonableness and unreasonableness demonstrated, and several useful conclusions inferred.
- Author
- G. B. (George Bright), d. 1696.
- Publication
- London :: Printed for John Wright ...,
- 1682.
- Rights/Permissions
-
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- Subject terms
- Ethics -- Early works to 1800.
- Cite this Item
-
"An essay in morality written by G.B. to his friend H.P., Esquire ; in which the nature of virtue and vice is distinctly stated, their respective reasonableness and unreasonableness demonstrated, and several useful conclusions inferred." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A29500.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 8, 2024.
Pages
Page [unnumbered]
The CONTENTS.
- Artic. 1. WHatever is in the Soul•• of Man reduced to two Heads, viz. Action and Passion.
- 2. Action in the Soul of two sorts, (1.) Assent or Judgment. (2.) Volition.
- 3. In Volition, Four things only to be consi∣dered. (1.) The Faculty. (2.) The Action. (3.) An Actual Inclination. (4.) An habi∣tual Inclination.
- 4. Of the three last, the Perfection and Defect may be considered.
- 5. The Object of Volition at the same time but one.
- 6. The Object of Volition is only good of two sorts, viz. that of the end, or delectable good; and that of the means, or profitable good.
- 7. The goodness of the Means, is the good∣ness of the End.
- 8. The 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a sort of profitable good.
- 9. Delectable good hath indefinite degrees in Extension, Intension, and Duration.
- 10. The greatest delectable good absolutely, is the Eternal Happiness of the whole Uni∣verse.
- 11. The first perfectionof Volition is to be directed to this absolutely greatest good.
- 12. That this is a perfection.
- 13. That it is possible, desirable, may be in the highest degree delightful.
- 14. To have a less good than absolutely the
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- greatest, for the Object of our Volition, is a defect.
- 15. This 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or relation of Volition to its Object, is Moral good and evil.
- 16. This Moral good is a kind of bonum utile.
- 17. Sin privately an infinite evil.
- 18. And it may be so positively.
- 19. A second perfection of Volition is strength, force, zeal.
- 20. A third, Constancy.
- 21. The just moderation of it seems a fourth.
- 22. Moral good and evil depend not upon a∣ny Beings's will.
- 23. Nor upon the freedom of Will.
- 24. Possible to will the rectitude of an action, and yet to sin.
- 25. A man to be estimated good or bad, ac∣cording to his Habitual Inclination.
- 26. A general distribution of Virtues called inherent.
- 27. Another from the parts of the Universal good.
- 28. These to be all taken together, and consi∣dered as one.
- ...29. Instrumental or eventual Virtues.
- 30. When it may be true, that Virtus con∣sistit in medio.
- 31. The nature and degrees of this sort of Virtues.
- 32. It is not true, that Virtutes sunt connexae.
- 33. How to determine which Virtues and Vi∣ces are the greatest.
- 34. Actual inclinations and propensions may be sinful.
- 35. The reason for the manner of writing, and the Style of this Essay.