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“P R IN C I P
L E S OF
'UNION'.
R E M A R K S o n t h e
doomed tobe under continual pain, or overwhelmed with miferyv,
will fincerely endeavour to contribute to the fitisfaffibn o f another,,
i f he finds himfelf more wretched upon every effort to increafe the:
happinefs o f his fellow creature. I t mull ’therefore be the intereft
o f each individual who wiihes to be happy,, to:promote the prof-
perity o f the whole community to which he belongs; and from:
whom he expefts adts o f reciprocal kindneft, that may tend: to,
improve his own happinefs. Th e happinefs o f every human being
living in a fociety, depends upon the following principles..
Firfi, Man has an organic body, requiring food, habitation-,,,
and chefs, as means conducive to its fupport j and many other things.,
neceflary, in order to acquire thefe articles without great labour,
and peril, or in other words, to make life more agreeable and eafy
thefe we would call the principles o f p h y s i c a l h a p p i n e s -s , .
Secondly,. Man is likewife a rational, thinking, and, freely,
ailing being; his happinefs therefore requires that he be able to
procure the means o f improving his intel'leitual faculties by inftruc-
tion, and to preferve the rights and privileges o fa free agency, which
however, ought to be diredted by charity and benevolence towards
the promotion o f his own happinefs,. and that o f his fellow
creatures. In a word, he ought to be enabled to live in a manner
becoming the dignity o f a rational,and free being ; and from thence
we may colledt th^principles of m o r a l h a p p i n e s s .
h u m a n s p e c i e s . 3 3 9
Laflly, As he is become together with others, a member p r in c i ples
of
o f a community, with a view to the promotion o f mutual happi- UNI0N-
nefs; he expedts to derive from this union or fociety the means
o f enjoying with certainty, in a perfedt and undifturbed manner
his phyfical and moral happinefs. Herein confift the principles of
CIVIL OR SOCIAL FELICITY.
From hence it becomes evident, that whenever men are found
to -live in focieties for the promotion ó f mutual happinefs, they
ought to enjoy phyfical, moral and facial felicity in the higheft
degree poffible, in their fituation and circumflances.
But befides the abovementloned divifion o f happinefs we muft
allow, that it naturally muft have many degrees, depending on
the following circumflances.
Firft, T h e more various and multiplied the objedts ó f phyfical,
trioral, and filia l Enjoyment are, which a man or.a-whole fociety
really can make their own, the greater -muft their happinefs be;
and.on the other hand, the fewer and thé left-varied the enjoyments,
and objedls ofenjoyment are, the more circutnfcribed and
Tmall is their happinefs.
Secondly, Th e 'longer Hbe duration o f enjoyments o f a-man or fo-
-ciety o f men is, the happier thëy will find themfèlvès: and-the
mere fleeting and trabfitofy their enjoyments are, in- the famé-de-
i gree, muft they experiehee uhhappinefs.
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