Page:Mind (New Series) Volume 9.djvu/392

378 HENRY STUBT : fear that any one will make the experiment. The real enemy here is philosophic obscurity. No one in this common-sense country would have anything to say to self-realisation if the cloud of hazy formulae which surrounds it could be swept away. Let it be clearly understood that it means that a man should be always intent on improving and safe-guarding his character, and its speculative popularity is doomed. 17. Eudaemonism is directly against the common ethical experience of men ; their moral valuations are evidently made according to a different standard. This may be verified by considering, first, the valuation commonly put upon various moral conceptions ; secondly, the valuation put upon various historic characters ; thirdly, parallel valua- tions from other departments of life. To establish the first of these, little more is needed than to write out a list of those moral conceptions the basis of which is clearly a sentiment of unselfish appreciation and another list of those whose basis is self-regarding, and leave the two, as one may say, to compare themselves. In the former list will be such conceptions as reverence, duty, self- sacrifice, devotion, piety ; in the other list self-culture, pru- dence, self-aggrandisement in all its coarser and finer forms. There is no need to point out which list holds higher rank in common estimation. The place of such conceptions as charity, love, public spirit and patriotism is superficially doubtful ; they may be claimed for both lists. Our op- ponents will point out that the patriot realises his own welfare no less than that of others by his public-spirited exertions. The fact is indisputable but the inference sought to be drawn from it is false. What we must keep in view is the mental attitude of the patriot. Is he thinking about himself or about his country? If the latter, then the results to self are irrelevant to the quality of his action. Doubtless the patriot knows that he is likely to gain by his patriotism, and that knowledge does not diminish his ardour. But if the thought of self-realisation, however refined, is uppermost in his thoughts he ceases to be a patriot. 18. Turn to consider what sort of characters the world ranks highest. Surely they are those who display the un- selfish qualities in the highest degree. There is no need to cite the saints and heroes of the past ; it is enough to ask the reader to study the people of his acquaintance. In common intercourse how refreshing are the enthusiastic, how lovable are the devoted. On the other hand how intolerably wearying and repellent is the egoist. Pre-occu-