THE

PHILOSOPHY OF NECESSITY;

OR,

THE LAW OF CONSEQUENCES;

AS APPLICABLE TO

MENTAL, MORAL, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE.

BY

CHARLES BRAY.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

PARTS I. AND II.-MIND AND MORALS.

LONDON:

LONGMAN, ORME, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS.

1841.

795.

PREFACE.

THE object of the present Work is to inquire into the nature of the constitution of man; to ascertain his place in creation, the object and aim of his existence, and the boundaries of his mind:-" to vindicate the ways of God to man," by tracing the Law of Consequences and pointing to the good of Evil: to inquire what sanction Nature affords to Morality, or what obligation she lays us under to regard the happiness of others to analyse the present constitution of Society; to trace the cause of its numerous evils; to suggest a remedy; and to show how we may best avail ourselves of our present knowledge and power to live together in the most happy manner possible.

The Author is aware how imperfect a work must be where so wide a range of subject is compressed into so small a compass, and how unattractive a dry detail of principles, without ornament and without illustration, is likely to be with respect to topics which, from their abstruseness, are ordinarily distasteful to the public, even when touched by a master hand and relieved by