GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY 1938 - 1947.pdf - Rare Books at ...

i8a ETHICS
In particular, one of the particular impulses may take
the bit between its teeth and run away with the rest of
our nature. Hence, it is not enough for the right under-
standing of human nature to know of what faculties and
propensities it is composed, any more than it is enough
for die light understanding of a watch to know that its
works are composed of spring, cogs and wheels. To understand
the watch, we must know what are the appropriate
functions of the spring, the cogs and the wheels; we must
know, in other words, that it is the spring's business to
turn the cogs and the wheels. Similarly, the person who
wishes to understand human nature must know what are
die proper functions of each of its faculties, and what
its right relation to the others. Butler proceeds to define
the right relation between the particular passions or
impulses, the two principles of Benevolence and Self-love,
and Conscience as follows. The particular impulses should,
he held, be subordinated to Benevolence and Self-love,
Benevolence and Self-love to Conscience. When the
different principles which compose a man's nature are so
disposed, he is said to be acting in accordance with nature.
Thus for Butler, as for the Greeks, "natural" conduct is
ideal conduct; for him, as for Plato, a man who realizes
the highest or best of which he is capable realizes also
his own nature.
The Impulses. It will be worth while to devote
a little space to the working out of Butler's scheme of
psychology, not only because of its intrinsic interest, but
also because in the course of its elaboration he directs a
fo**"ffi^ criticism against die hedonist contention that
the object *f all human action is to obtain pleasure for
the fcgent* Y shall restate and criticize this important
theory in "Chapter XI. I include Butler's arguments
here as an txampk of a model piece of psychological
analysis ratjier than as an exhaustive treatment of the
See Chapter a, pp. 46-48 mod Chapter XI, pp. 396^415. for an
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