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CRUELTY TO ANIMALS-A
SOCIOLOGY. *
STUDY IN
SOME philosophers hold that whatever we feel in our conscienco
to be right, is right. Others assert that the course of action
to be approved is evidently that which loads to the greatest
balance of pleasure over pain. In casting up this credit and
debit account, wo may properly include not only the pleasures
and pains of all mankind, but those of the lower animals, SO
far as they can be estimittcd and compared with human feelings.
However these fundamental questions of moral science
may be settled, it is curious to reflect horn little the two
standards of right do, as a matter of fact, correspond. In a
great many instances which might be pointed out, public
sentiment condemns and rigorously represses one particuhr
form of hurtful action, whilo it condones or approves deeds
of a parallel nature equally against the greatest-happiness
principle. Prevailing moral sentiments mom to bo founded
on no nice appreciation of comparative evil and comparative
good
It has often struck me that the English people are under
some misapprehensions about their national virtues. Long
ago they abolished pnblio lotteries, and a lottery wheel ie
now considered a wicked and demoralising thing, except in
its rather ominous connection with the ale of works of &.
But though lottery wheels are abolished, they tolerate the
* “Fortnightly hview,” May, 1876, vol. xix, pp. 671-684.