第72章

andindecidingthequestionwhetheranydivergencefromthiscodeistoberecommended，mustconsiderchieflytheimmediateconsequencesofsuchdivergence，uponasocietyinwhichsuchacodeisconceivedgenerallytosubsist。Nodoubtathoughtfulandwell-instructedUtilitarianmayseedimlyacertainwayahead，andhisattitudetowardsexistingmoralitymaybetosomeextentmodifiedbywhathesees。Hemaydiscerninthefuturecertainevilsimpending，whichcanonlybeeffectuallywardedoffbytheadoptionofnewandmorestringentviewsofdutyincertaindepartments:

while，ontheotherband，hemayseeaprospectofsocialchangeswhichwillrenderarelaxationofotherpartsofthemoralcodeexpedientorinevitable。ButifhekeepswithinthelimitsthatseparatescientificprevisionfromfancifulUtopianconjecture，theformofsocietytowhichhispracticalconclusionsrelatewillbeonevaryingbutlittlefromtheactual，withitsactuallyestablishedcodeofmoralrulesandcustomaryjudgmentsconcerningvirtueandvice。

If，then，wearetoregardthemoralityofCommonSenseasamachineryofrules，habits，andsentiments，roughlyandgenerallybutnotpreciselyorcompletelyadaptedtotheproductionofthegreatestpossiblehappinessforsentientbeingsgenerally；andif，ontheotherband，wehavetoacceptitastheactuallyestablishedmachineryforattainingthisend，whichwecannotreplaceatoncebyanyother，butcanonlygraduallymodify；itremainstoconsiderthepracticaleffectsofthecomplexandbalancedrelationinwhichascientificUtilitarianthusseemstostandtothePositiveMoralityofhisageandcountry。

Generallyspeaking，hewillclearlyconformtoit，andendeavourtopromoteitsdevelopmentinothers。

For，thoughtheimperfectionthatwefindinalltheactualconditionsofhumanexistence——wemayevensayintheuniverseatlargeasjudgedfromahumanpointofview——isultimatelyfoundeveninMoralityitself，insofarasthisiscontemplatedasPositive；still，practically，wearemuchlessconcernedwithcorrectingandimprovingthanwearewithrealisingandenforcingit。TheUtilitarianmustrepudiatealtogetherthattemperofrebellionagainsttheestablishedmorality，assomethingpurelyexternalandconventional，intowhichthereflectivemindisalwaysapttofallwhenitisfirstconvincedthattheestablishedrulesarenotintrinsicallyreasonable。Hemust，ofcourse，alsorepudiateassuperstitiousthataweofitasanabsoluteorDivineCodewhichIntuitionalmoralistsinculcate。

Still，hewillnaturallycontemplateitwithreverenceandwonder，asamarvellousproductofnature，theresultoflongcenturiesofgrowth，showinginmanypartsthesamefineadaptationofmeanstocomplexexigenciesasthemostelaboratestructuresofphysicalorganismsexhibit:hewillhandleitwithrespectfuldelicacyasamechanism，constructedofthefluidelementofopinionsanddispositions，bytheindispensableaidofwhichtheactualquantumofhumanhappinessiscontinuallybeingproduced；amechanismwhichno`politiciansorphilosophers’couldcreate，yetwithoutwhichtheharderandcoarsermachineryofPositiveLawcouldnotbepermanentlymaintained，andthelifeofmanwouldbecome——asHobbesforciblyexpressesit——``solitary，poor，nasty，brutish，andshort’’。

Still，asthisactualmoralorderisadmittedlyimperfect，itwillbetheUtilitarian’sdutytoaidinimprovingit；justasthemostorderly，law-abidingmemberofamoderncivilisedsocietyincludesthereformoflawsinhisconceptionofpoliticalduty。Wehavethereforetoconsiderbywhatmethodhewillascertaintheparticularmodificationsofpositivemoralitywhichitwouldbepracticallyexpedienttoattempttointroduce，atanygiventimeandplace。Hereourinvestigationseems，afterall，toleaveEmpiricalHedonismastheonlymethodordinarilyapplicablefortheultimatedecisionofsuchproblems——atleastuntilth