SUMMARY.
Division of duties.—In theory there is but one duty, which is to do right; but this duty is subdivided according to the various relations of man. Hence three classes of duties: duties towards ourselves, towards others, towards God: individual, social, religious morality. We will begin with social morality, which requires the most expounding.
General principles of social duties: to do good; not to do evil.
Different degrees of this double obligation: 1, not to return evil for good (ingratitude); 2, not to do evil to those who have not done us any (injustice and cruelty); 3, not to return evil for evil (revenge); 4, to return good for good (gratitude); 5, to do good to those who have not done us any (charity); 6, to return good for evil (clemency, generosity).
Distinction between the various kinds of social duties: 1, towards the lives of other men; 2, towards their property; 3, towards their family; 4, towards their honor; 5, towards their liberty.
Distinction between the duties of justice and the duties of charity.—Justice is absolute, without restriction, without exception. Charity, although as obligatory as justice, is more independent in its application. It chooses its time and place; its objects and means; its beauty is in its liberty.
We have seen that practical morality or private morality has for its object to acquaint us with the application of theoretical morality. It bears not so much on duty as on duties. The first question, then, that presents itself to us is that of the division of duties.
17. Division of duties.—It has been reasonably asserted that there is in reality but one duty, which is to do good under all circumstances, the same as it has also been said that there is but one virtue: wisdom, or obedience to the laws of reason. But as these two general divisions teach us in reality nothing touching our various actions, which are very numerous, it is useful and necessary to classify the principal circumstances in which we have to act, in order to specify in a more particular manner wherein the general principle which commands us to do good may be applied in each case.
Human actions may then be divided, either in regard to the different beings they have for their object, or in regard to the various faculties to which they relate.
The ancients divided morality particularly in reference to the divers human faculties, and in private morality they considered above all the virtues.