only a conclusion of philosophy; but is entirely conformable to our common ways of thinking and of expressing ourselves, when we say that we are bound by our own consent, and that the obligation arises from our mere will and pleasure. The only question, then, is, whether there be not a manifest absurdity in supposing this act of the mind, and such an absurdity as no man cou'd fall into, whose ideas are not confounded with prejudice and the fallacious use of language.
All morality depends upon our sentiments; and when any action, or quality of the mind, pleases us after a certain manner, we say it is virtuous; and when the neglect, or non-performance of it, displeases us after a like manner, we say that we lie under an obligation to perform it. A change of the obligation supposes a change of the sentiment; and a creation of a new obligation supposes some new sentiment to arise. But 'tis certain we can naturally no more change our own sentiments, than the motions of the heavens; nor by a single act of our will, that is, by a promise, render any action agreeable or disagreeable, moral or immoral; which, without that act, wou'd have produc'd contrary impressions, or have been endow'd with different qualities. It wou'd be absurd, therefore, to will any new obligation, that is, any new sentiment of pain or pleasure; nor is it possible, that men cou'd naturally fall into so gross an absurdity. A promise, therefore, is naturally something altogether unintelligible, nor is there any act of the mind belonging to it.[1]
- ↑ Were morality discoverable by reason, and not by sentiment,
twou'd be still more evident, that promises cou'd make no alteration
upon it. Morality is suppos'd to consist in relation. Every new imposition
of morality, therefore, must arise from some new relation of
objects; and consequently the will cou'd not produce immediately any
change in morals, but cou'd have that effect only by producing a change
upon the objects. But as the moral obligation of a promise is the pure
effect of the will, without the least change in any part of the universe;
it follows, that promises have no natural obligation.
Shou'd it be said, that this act of the will being in effect a new object, produces new relations and new duties; I won' answer, that this is a pure sophism, which may be detected by a very moderate share of accuracy and exactness. To will a new obligation, is to will a new
