OR THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF DUTY AN ETHICAL TEXT-BOOK BY EDWARD JOHN HAMILTON, D.D., Late Professor of Philosophy in the State University of Washington, Author of FUNK AND WAGNALLS COMPANY. NEW YORK AND LONDON 1902 COPYRIGHT, 1902 BY EDWARD JOHN HAMILTON [Registered at Stationers' Hall, London, England] PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Published in March, 1902 PREFACE. DURING the past twenty-five years the theory of morals has been discussed by many writers, each of whom, doubtless, has entertained the hope that his views might prove acceptable to the majority of scholars. The outcome has been discouraging. The teachings of text-books to-day are as divergent as at any previous time. Under these circumstances another attempt to grapple with "the ethical problem" should be accompanied with justifying reasons. mere fact that no solution hitherto offered has won general approval does not warrant new philosophizing. One must have some ground of confidence that his efforts have, at the least, been rightly directed. The The chief recommendation of the doctrines now presented is, that they have been very carefully formed according to the rules of inductive logic. Not a single abstract principle has been asserted, except so far as it follows fairly from an analysis of the moral thought of men. No attempt has been made to found theory on the untested assertions of reason, or on the unexplained dictates of common sense; much less to deduce it from the arguments of great authorities. In every case the actual thought of men has been made the subject of analytic scrutiny. The aim has been to employ fact-fact only-as the basis of theory. At the same time, the tenets of every school and the reasons alleged in their behalf have been compared and investigated. The aid of every earnest inquirer has been sought that the truth as seen from his point of view might be fully apprehended. To this end more books have been consulted than have been quoted. While only so many citations have been made in the text as were needed to |