صفحة 133 من 734

The multitude of men seem to be deceived by reason of pleasure,

because though it is not really a good it impresses their minds

with the notion of goodness, so they choose what is pleasant as

good and avoid pain as an evil.

Chapter VII.

Now since the End is the object of Wish, and the means to the End

of Deliberation and Moral Choice, the actions regarding these

matters must be in the way of Moral Choice, i.e. voluntary: but

the acts of working out the virtues are such actions, and

therefore Virtue is in our power.

And so too is Vice: because wherever it is in our power to do it

is also in our power to forbear doing, and vice versa: therefore

if the doing (being in a given case creditable) is in our power,

so too is the forbearing (which is in the same case

discreditable), and vice versa.

But if it is in our power to do and to forbear doing what is

creditable or the contrary, and these respectively constitute the

being good or bad, then the being good or vicious characters is

in our power.