The Philosophy of the Moral Feelings

In this thoughtful work the author turns his attention to the inner life that guides our sense of right and wrong. He begins by distinguishing the mental faculties that belong to intellect from those that belong to moral feeling, showing how they should work together in harmony. Through clear examples he explains how desires, passions and self‑interest can be ordered toward genuine moral improvement.

The treatise then links these psychological insights to the broader questions of faith, arguing that the conscience and the conviction of a higher moral governor are mutually supportive sources of truth. Readers will find a systematic discussion of basic moral intuitions—justice, duty, responsibility, and the hope of an after‑life—presented in a language meant for the educated layperson. By the end of the first part, the groundwork is laid for a deeper exploration of will, conscience, and the human relationship to the divine.