Enquiry Concerning Political Justice and Its Influence on Morals and Happiness Volume 1 — William Godwin

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1798 edition. Excerpt: ... will not the less certainly in many cafes act in a way irrational and absurd, this consideration must greatly overcloud the prospect of the moral reformer. There is another consequence that will flow from the vulgarly received doctrine upon this subject. If man be, by the very constitution of his nature, the subject of opinion, and if truth and reason, when properly displayed, give us a complete hold upon his choice, then the search of the political enquirer will be much simplified. Then we have only to discover what form of civil society is most conformable to reason, and we may rest assured that, as soon as men shall be persuaded from conviction to adopt that form, they will have acquired to themselves an invaluable benefit. But, if reason be frequently inadequate to its task, if there be an opposite principle in man, resting upon its own ground, and maintaining a separate jurisdiction, the most rational principles of society may be rendered abortive, it may be necessary to call in mere sensible causes to encounter causes of the same nature, folly may be the fittest instrument to effect the purposes of wisdom, and vice to disseminate and establish the public benefit. In that case the salutary prejudices and useful delusions (as they have been called) of aristocracy, the glittering diadem, the magnificent canopy, the ribbands, stars and titles of an illustrious rank, may at last be found the fittest instruments for guiding and alluring to his proper ends the savage, man*. * Book V, Chap. XV. E 4 Such BOOK I. CHAP. V. Such is the nature of the question to be examined, and such its connection with the enquiry con.' cerning the influence of political institutions. The more accurately to conceive the topic be* fore us, it is necessary to...